Tell Me A Story
by shelizabeth
Summary: Life with Snow, Emma, and Charming if Regina had never cast the curse and Emma got to grow up with her loving parents. Maybe there is no vendetta there at all, Snow never told Cora, and Regina is off with Daniel. Wouldn't that be nice? Mostly Charming family cute scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't know if anyone will read this story truthfully, but I hope somehow people will find it because I realized how much I missed writing. Recently I've been obsessed with Charming family cuteness and reading fanfics nonstop of it, and always I come back to picturing what their life would have been like without the curse. I decided to just try it out and of course ideas for a whole freaking novel came to me. I have ideas until like Emma's adulthood planned out, it's so bad. Maybe I'm just avoiding my responsibilities (finals week, yuck) but all I wanna do is write this story. Please leave reviews and let me know what you think and if I should keep posting it :)**

**Also this first chapter goes quickly to three different time periods and I'm still deciding how much of the story will be Emma in toddlerhood because my ideas go up to teenage Emma. So it really depends if people read this and want more of Emma being young.**

**Also this is so long, I'm sorry, I promise I won't do this on every chapter. If you read this, I love you.**

"Charming," Snow gasped. She tried to remain calm, but it came out almost like a screech. "The baby... is coming. Now!" Her tone of voice crescendoed with each syllable.

Trying to hide the mix of shock and fear in his voice, he assured Snow it was going to be okay.

"Get. Doc." She ordered, narrowing her eyes. David nodded urgently, as if she just reminded him that there were more people in the world besides his wife and himself.

She truly wasn't sure if minutes, hours, or years passed. It felt like a millenium of contractions, closer and closer together.

"You're doing great, Snow. You're almost there." The dwarf smiled at her, as if she wasn't experiencing the most pain she's ever known.

"You did this to me." Snow exclaims, squeezing Charming's hand tighter than she's ever held anything. "So you can deliver the next one."

At this, Charming can't stop his laugh from escaping. As much as Snow tries to keep her face serious, her mouth curves at her favorite noise. She couldn't imagine loving a sound more.

"Don't kill the messenger, but I don't think it works like that, love."

"Well it should," her last words are interrupted by a scream unable to be held down any longer.

"One more push, Snow. You're doing great," Doc says, looking up. "I can see her face", he smiles. At this confession, knowing she's so close to meeting her baby, she feels a sudden burst of energy. She'd push mountains out of the way herself to meet her daughter.

First, she hears crying, sweet, beautiful crying. She knows in a few weeks this sound won't seem to have so much magic in it, so she tries to absorb every ounce of feeling in her body now to store away for later.

"She's beautiful." David's voice is soothing and sure of himself, but there are paths on his cheeks where the silent tears traveled. She reaches out for David to put her baby in her arms, and he wordlessly complies.

"Emma." She whispers, as if Emma should get to hear it before everyone else. "I love you." A statement, a promise, an absolute.

* * *

"You get up." Snow grumbles into her pillow. It's barely audible, but David knows what she's saying.

"I got up last time." He bargains, not opening his eyes. He rubs his hands over his temples.

"Yes, because tonight is your night." Snow reminds him. They've worked out a system with Emma that's fairly simple- every other night they switch off who has to get up during the night.

"I'm tired, though." He groans. At this, Snow's eyes pop open, incredulous.

"Oh I forgot! I forgot how tired _you_ are because I am so well-rested and refreshed! I was actually _hoping_ Emma would cry at four in the morning tonight. I just had a burning desire to get up and burn off all this extra energy!"

Charming opens his eyes and he smiles at his wife. Despite her best efforts, her face betrays her and returns his smile."Okay, point taken." He starts to get up, but Snow stops him by putting her hand on his chest.

"I'm already awake now anyway. Go ahead and rest." She smiles, her fingers in his blonde hair on the pillow.

"I love you, I really do." He reminds her.

"I know."

Snow yawns as she walks to the nursery, though she doesn't really feel tired. She's pretty awake for it being four in the morning. Although she can't really base her expectations of rest on the time- these days she sleeps when Emma sleeps- day or night.

"Hi bug!" She says, her mood lifting exponentially by peering over the cradle. Emma's face in red, perhaps even redder compared to the dull white of her woven baby blanket. "You're so beautiful." Snow can't help but tell her every time she sees her daughters face. It's really just instinct to tell the most beautiful person in the world how beautiful they are. Emma is supposed to be on a feeding schedule, which means the next time she eats shouldn't be for almost two hours. At six months, she really has been getting better with sleeping through the night, but she's still been getting up two or three times between bedtime and waking up. As hard it is in the moment, it is worth every moment of exhaustion. The way Emma looks at Snow makes her feel like somebody's hero. And not just anybodys- the most important persons hero.

"Is she okay?" David's voice startles Snow, as she had her back to the door.

"What are you doing up?" She says, a hint of a smile mixed in with the surprise in her voice.

"You've been in here for awhile and... it's hard to sleep once you're up knowing your baby is awake in the other room. It's like you're missing something. It's kind of... lonely." He confesses.

"I know exactly the feeling you're talking about."

Charming smiles at the mother of his child. "I'm glad I'm not crazy, then."

"Oh, you are crazy," Snow tells him. "That's why we get along so wonderfully."

"Well, if we're both crazy," he moves next to his daughter sleeping in her mothers arms and places his hand on the crown of her head, "what did we get Emma into?"

"A whole lotta trouble." Snow smiles so big her jaw aches, feeling whole.

* * *

"Do you know how old you are?" David asks his daughter. A classic, easy-to-answer question for parents to show off how smart their children are. Plus what else do you talk about with toddlers? Sitting at the kitchen table, Emma waits while David cleans up the counters.

"Yes daddy." She says, as if he asked the dumbest question in the world.

"Well, how old are you?" David tries not to laugh at Emma's matter-of-fact tone. She's already too smart for her own good, he doesn't want to egg on her tiny sarcasm.

"Thwee." Her tone doesn't change, and David can't help it, the sound of her little voice makes his face light up with laughter. "Why you yaughing?" Her eyebrows scrunch with curiosity.

"Just because I'm happy."

"Why?"

"Because you make me happy, Emma!" He tells her. He's learned that everything he says and does with a three year old needs to have a reason, because she needs to know it. He's answered the question why? more times in the short span of Emma's life than all the other years combined.

"Why?" She replies.

"Because I love you." He tells her.

"I yove you." She hears I love you so often that she always replies in the same way. For this statement, she never asks why.

"The cake is almost done, I think." He tells his three year old, and hopes he's right. Truthfully he's no expert at baking. But it's Snow's birthday today, and this is the first year Emma can really understand what's going on. She hasn't celebrated her birthday in years, not since her mother died, until Emma. Emma gave her a reason to celebrate another year of life.

Emma doesn't look up when David mentions the cake because she is focused on the piece of paper in front of her.

"Emma, did you hear me?"

"Daddy shhh." She said, without looking up. David didn't make a sound, but it was obvious Emma realized quickly what she said because she looked up quickly. Her blue eyes- still too big for her body- filled with regret of a toddler. "Pees?" she asked, her way of making amends. David's fake shock on his face was obviously convincible enough to make her think she really left him speechless.

"Are you drawing that picture for mommy's birthday?" He asked, letting her know she wasn't in trouble.

"Yes." She answered. "I need to concembrate."

"Okay, okay. But can I see it?"

Emma looked at him, as if she was deciding. Her blonde hair was so thin and light that Snow and Charming often joked about if she was really a faerie instead of a princess.

"Okay." Emma said, moving her chubby, tiny arms out of the way of the paper. Charming looked to see red, blue, and yellow scribbles all over the paper, tornado effect.

"Oh. My. Goodness." He mocked a teenage girl reply, and left a confused expression on his daughters face. "This is like, the most beautiful picture I've ever seen," he continued, "in fact. I've only ever seen one other thing in the entire world that's more beautiful than this picture."

This sparked her interest. "What is it?" A tone of jealousy towards the picture her dad found more beautiful than hers.

"Well, I don't think you know her."

"What hims name?"

"Well, you probably don't know her. She's three years old."

"I'm thwee!"

"Oh, well she's a princess. The most beautiful in all the land, too."

"I'm a pwincess!" Emma exclaims, shocked at the similarities.

"You don't say? Her name rhymes with Femma."

"Daddy," Emma giggles uncontrollably. "that's me!"

"Huh," David says thoughtfully. "I guess you're right." And Emma nearly falls out of her chair with her case of the giggles.

"But really, Emma, you are going to make mommy so happy with this picture. I think you're a natural artist." He tells her sincerely.

Emma beams at her father, proud of herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading my first chapter, wow. Seriously, thank you. I really appreciate you taking the time to do that, and I hope it provides some type of enjoyment for you. Also please review! I'm still on the edge about how far I'm actually going to take this story and your thoughts would help :)**

Snow hummed to herself as she cleaned out Emma's drawers. The five year old played on the floor nearby, and she knew Charming would tell Snow to make Emma do something to help, but she let Emma get away with far too much and she knew it.

"Emma how would you like to eat lunch with daddy at the table outside today?" It was her favorite spot, because she loved to see the birds when she ate. It was reserved for special occasions and today was a perfect day. Warm enough outside to feel like the sun is hugging your skin, but not hot enough to sweat.

"Yes!" At five, Emma didn't yet question what it means to barter with actions. All she thought about was the fact she's going to eat at her favorite place. "I'm hungry now," Emma said, trying to speed along the process.

"It's not lunch time quite yet, sweet girl." Snow laughs at Emma's try. Emma nods with disappointment and understanding at her mother, then watches her fold the clothes in her drawers. She's replacing winter wear with appropriate clothes for the warmer weather. Emma loves this time of year.

"Can I hep you?" Emma asks, curious.

"Of course," Snow says, surprised she'd give up playing with her toys. "I would love that. Can you help me fold your winter clothes?"

Emma nods, taking a shirt excitedly. Frustrated, she tries to fold the sleeves into the shirt. She watches Snow's pile, the perfect shapes and clean lines.

"Mommy," she says exasperated. "I can't do it."

"Emma," her voice is assuring and motherly. "You know you can."

"I can't!" She says, getting angrier. "I don't wanna fode anymore."

Snow was easily the more easygoing parent, and Emma definitely knew that. It was a hard line to know if she should let her give up, knowing her five year old brain has moved on and has plenty of time to learn monotonous things like folding, or if she should take the choice away from Emma and make her follow through. Not for the sake of actually folding, but so Emma doesn't begin to see giving up as a viable option when things aren't easy.

You really have to know your child. Luckily for Snow, she knew her better than anyone in the world. She could tell Emma didn't really care to stop, but just needed to be shown she could do it.

"Here, help me," Snow said, picking a shirt similar to the long-sleeved entanglement in front of Emma. She showed her daughter where to place the sleeves to make it fit. "Go ahead, try again."

Snow watched her daughter mimic her actions almost exactly, and though the sleeves fell out a bit and the shirt was more of a ball than anything, Snow felt pride when Emma exclaimed "I did it!".

"I think you may be the smartest girl that's ever lived. You learned that so fast."

Emma smiled at her mother, and unknowingly took this statement to heart. She really believed her. After all, in her short life she's only heard great things about herself. And why would her parents lie?

* * *

Charming sat at the table outside waiting. There was a great meal prepared, of course Emma's favorite. He suddenly felt a twinge of sadness imagining his limited moments with his wife and daughter.

"Daddy!" Emma broke her hold with Snow's hand. Though they saw each other hours ago, Emma greets him like they're being united after a year apart.

"Hi buddy. What have you been up to?"

"I foded my close."

"You did?" Charming says happily. "You helped mommy?"

"Uh-huh." Emma tells him like she just found the cure for world peace.

"What a big girl you are. It must have made you hungry."

Emma nods and sits at the end of the table. Her parents sit on both sides of her. For her whole life, this is how it's been. The birds can reach her better here when she holds out her hands.

"Emma," her dad starts. "We have something to tell you." Emma looks up, and both her parents are looking at her. She looks at them confusedly, wary if she's in trouble or not.

"You're not in trouble," her mother reads her daughters face like an old favorite story. "Don't worry. What we want to tell you is good news."

Her parents look at each other and hold hands across the table. "You're going to be a big sister," they say together.

Emma looks at them, seemingly no less confused but relieved she didn't do anything bad.

"There's a baby in mommy's tummy." Charming tries to explain. At this, Emma's eyes widen.

"Mommy! You ate a baby!" Emma exclaims, her eyes brimming with tears.

"No sweetie," Snow tries, but both her parents are laughing. Emma can't imagine what is so funny about her mother eating a baby. "Don't worry. The baby is growing in my tummy. When the baby is done growing, he or she is going to live with us. You'll be their big sister."

Emma looks her mother up and down, glancing at her stomach and back at her face. She trusts her mother, but she can't understand.

"How it come out of your tummy?" She asks.

Charming and Snow look at each other. "Well, when the baby is ready, he'll tell me."

Emma nods, deciding this logic was sound. "How it get in there?"

"That's a discussion for another day." Charming tells her curious eyes, dismissing the question.

"We want her to be curious." Snow hush whispers to her husband.

"Not about this!" He replies in the same tone.

"Charming." Her voice changes to her soothing, well-evened one.

"You can explain it then if you want her to know so bad."

Snow turns away from her husband and exhales. "Emma, when two people love each other very, very, very much, it becomes magic. When people have true love, it's magical enough to make a baby."

"I true yove you, mommy. Do that mean we make a baby?" Emma asks, and watches the mouths fall on her parents. She doesn't understand.

"No sweetie, I'm afraid," Snow pauses, trying to think of where to take it from here. "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that."

Emma opens her mouth to respond, and Snow hopes to the heavens above she doesn't press it further. "Can I have a cookie now? I ated all my lunch."

"Of course," her parents say simultaneously, and Emma smiles. "Anything you want".

* * *

"Tell me a story." Emma says to her parents, but it's more like a question. Tucked into bed, she looks peaceful.

"Which story?" Snow asks.

"How you met!" Emma says excitedly. It's the only story Emma knows, really, but she still acts exceptionally giddy over hearing it.

"How about a new one?" Charming tries, but Emma shakes her head. "Okay, okay. Well daddy was supposed to marry someone else," he starts and hears an audible gasp from his daughter. She's heard this a thousand times, she knows this story by heart, and yet the idea of daddy with anyone but mommy always surprises her. Snow squeezes her daughter's hand and smiles at her innocence. It's nice to have someone always on your side, Snow thinks.

"I know, I know. Daddy was crazy. But I had to marry her to save the kingdom. Then on the way to get married, I got stopped in the woods by one of the beautiful girls I had ever seen."

"I was walking through the woods to visit the birds, and suddenly I heard a prince order his whole carriage to stop. I was so surprised," Snow interjects David's story, cleaning it up a little for their sweet five year old.

"When your mother looked at me," Charming adds. "I knew it was true love right in that moment."

"And you couldn't marry the princess!" Emma exclaims.

"Snow was a princess though, my love. Just from a different kingdom." Charming reminded her, and Emma smiled at her parents.

"I wanna be just yike you mommy." Emma smiled, as she gave up fighting her eyelids and let them close. Snow's heart swelled so much at this simple statement that it felt like it was going to burst out of her body.

"Does that mean she wants to walk through the woods alone and break up a wedding?" Charming whispered to Snow.

"Shut up," Snow laughed and gave him a shove.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is the last chapter with little Emma, I just wanted to show her brothers being born :) I just wrote the next chapter and it's where the "action" begins, and I'm very excited to post it, so that will be probably later today or tomorrow. Today's my last final, yahoo, plenty of time for writing ;)**

**P.S. The baby's name was a little ode to my undying love for Regina.**

"Red can I ast you somefin?" Emma says thoughtfully.

"Of course, girly. What's on your mind?" Red replies to the six year old. She's watching Emma, due to the fact that her parents are busy bringing new life into the world.

"Are you a big sittser?"

"I'm not, unfortunately. But you know what, I always wanted to be one."

"For real?"

"For real," Red promises. "I'm jealous of you."

"Why?"

"Well, I always wanted to have someone to look after. You get to tell them everything you know. And you never have to be bored again, because there's always someone to play with."

Emma smiles, drinking up this information. It does all make sense. "What's wrong? Are you scared?" Red asks her.

Emma doesn't reply, so Red continues. "There's nothing to be worried about. I promise, you parents are never going to love anyone more than you. Even if you have to share their time, you never have to share their love. Got it?"

Emma's not sure if she gets it, but she nods anyway and wraps her arms around Red's legs.

"I'll be your big sittser." Emma promises.

Red laughs and tells her she thinks she'd be the little one, not the big. Seemingly have confused her more, Red suggests that it's time for bed anyway.

"If you fall asleep soon, we can go to your parents and meet your new brother or sister as soon as you wake up."

"But mommy and daddy always tell me a story."

"Well, I can tell you one, if you'd like." Red offers.

Emma seems to consider this. "Do you know how mommy and daddy met?"

"I'm not sure," Red states. "Why don't you remind me?"

At this cue, Emma begins her tale.

* * *

"Knock, knock." Red says to accompany her thumps on the door to the bedroom. "I came to return something of yours." As she says this, Emma's face pops out from the side of her legs.

"Come here right now, baby girl!" Charming says and holds his arms open. Emma, at first wary of the new situation, runs into her fathers arms. "I missed you," he tells her.

"Missed _you_," she returns to him sweetly and taps his nose with her pointer finger.

"Do you want to meet your new brothers?" At the plural form of brothers, Red's eyes widen.

Confused as well, Emma nods. Her dad leads her to a cradle on the side of the bed her mom is resting on. One baby lies in the cradle, another on her mom's chest.

"Daddy there's two!"

"We were surprised, too." Charming says, also looking up at Red to explain it.

"Wow," Red says, in shock. "You're going to need double of everything now."

"Emma, we're going to need a lot of help from you. Do you think you can help?"

"Yes." She says, sure of herself. She seems almost excited to help.

Emma climbs on the bed next to her mom and David tells her quite assertively not to wake her. Emma, dejected, tries not to cry at her father's harsh tone.

"I'm sorry, Emma," David starts.

"Sorry about what?" Snow says, hearing the tail end of the conversation as she wakes up. Her face is surprised, as if she's suddenly remembered there's a baby less than a day old laying on her.

"Mommy!"

"Hi, princess. Were you good for Red?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good," Snow smiles.

"I'm a big sittser to these?" Emma says, eyeing the babies as if she's sizing them up.

"Yes, yes you are." Snow laughs. "How would you like to help pick out their names?"

"I can do that?!"

"Of course you can."

"I like... umm..." Emma says, racking her brain for the best name possible. "Baby."

"You want to name the baby 'Baby'?" Charming asks.

Emma looks at him obviously. She points to the one on her mothers chest and says 'Baby' and moves her tiny hand to the one in the cradle. "That one can be 'Brother'.

"I like it, Emma, but maybe those should be nicknames," Snow laughs.

"Michael," Charming says suddenly. "This one is Michael."

"I like it," Snow smiles. "What about this little bug though?" She says, looking at the tiny face of her son.

"What do you think of Daniel?" She asks Charming.

"I love it." He says, kissing his wifes lips. Emma looks at them unimpressed.

* * *

"Mommy, I'm bored."

"I know, sweetie, we'll do something fun after I get Daniel down." Snow tells her daughter while rocking the two month old baby. Emma looks at her, disbelieving. Snow tilts her head and says "I promise."

"Okay," Emma agrees, and goes back to coloring her picture. But one look at her daughter tells Snow that she doesn't believe her still. Suddenly she's overwhelmed with guilt for making Emma feel less important than before.

"You know what, how about we go somewhere, just me and you? Why don't you go run and get your coat and shoes on? Daddy can handle the boys."

"For real?"

"For real." Snow smiles.

Snow begins up the stairs where David is laying Mickey down in his cradle.

"Shhh." He says, facing her. "I just got him down."

"I told Emma, I'd take her out," Snow whispers. David's eyebrows scrunch. "Just me and her. For some alone time."

"That sounds great, Snow. I only wish I could come."

"Next time," she smiles.

"Hey, you ready?" Snow calls, coming to the front entryway of their castle.

"Uh-huh." Emma chose pink and white sneakers, accompanied with her blue jacket with trucks all over them. Snow smiled at Emma's wide range of interests. "Where are we going?" The six year old asked her mother.

"It's a surprise. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you." She assured her mom. "Are we going to visit someone?"

"Not quite."

"Is there food there?"

"Why, are you hungry?"

Emma shook her head no.

"Emma, baby, relax. You will see very soon. We're not very far away now at all!" Nodding, Emma took her mothers hand.

"We're in the woods!" Emma exclaims, as if this was excitement enough. Hearing the

birds chirping, she puts her hand out. Almost immediately, a bluebird lands on her tiny chubby hand. Though it sits perched on her finger, the bird itself is as big as her entire hand.

"You remember the story on how daddy and I met?"

Emma nods, not taking her eyes off the bird.

"You remember where it was?" Snow asks.

"Uh-huh. In the woods." Emma's voice trails off as she suddenly realizes the connection. "In this woods?" She asks, urgently.

"In this very spot, I knew I was in love."

Emma looks around excitedly, like someone just brought her right in the middle of her favorite story.

"Did you stand right on these rocks?" Emma says, looking down at the pebbles by her feet.

Snow laughs at her daughter. "Well, it's possible, I guess," she admits. Sitting on a ledge, Snow gestures to Emma and asks "Emma, do we mind if we talk for a little?"

"Okay, mommy."

"How are you?" Snow asks.

"Good." Emma asks, absentmindedly, because she knows you say good when someone asks that, and it doesn't matter if you really feel good or not, it's just the correct answer.

"I mean, with your brothers. I want you to know you're not any less important, okay? You're still our whole world, Emma."

Snow doesn't really know if Emma understands when she agrees, but she says she does.

"I love you so much, sweet girl. Even when you're a hundred years old, you will always be my baby." Snow says, squeezing her daughter, trying to somehow make Emma feel all the love she was overwhelmed with when she looked at this precious human.

"You're silly, mommy." Emma giggles uncontrollably. "I can't be a baby when I'm 100 years old."

"But you will be. To me, at least." Snow assures her, and kisses the top of her forehead.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I want to write a story that OUAT fans can really enjoy, especially with the finale coming up I want you guys to have your fix, because I know what it's like. That being said, if you have an idea, want me to include something, want more moments with specific characters, anything, please let me know. I will try to include anything and everything you guys want as best I can. I write it, but it's for the people who take the time to read it. **

"Emma, wake up." Charming calls over the bed. His teenage daughter was, well, in fact very teenage-like. At thirteen, she was clearly still working hard to figure out her place in the world. Being parents meant finding a hard balance between allowing her to do so, but also wanting to do what's best. In the moment, it's difficult, especially for Charming, to let their baby figure things out on her own. Especially when they just want to be a part of every moment.

"Noooooo," she grumbles into the pillow. "Five more minutes. Please, Dad?"

"Emma Ruth, I gave you _ten_ minutes, ten minutes ago. You really need to get up now."

Facing away from her dad, she mutters "I don't want to go today."

"Lessons are not an option, girlfriend. But nice try."

"Do I have to have dinner with grandma tonight too?" Emma moans.

"I'm afraid, yes. Grandma loves seeing you though, so please be polite." Charming says, looking at his daughter and half-understanding. Emma swears her grandma could have been an evil queen in another life, and despite Snow and Charming's best efforts to conceal that idea while Snow's stepmother visited, Emma was never too shy to question her about it. "No mention about you know what, tonight. Got it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma smiles innocently at her father, but her eyes tell it all.

* * *

"Hey, how was getting Emma up?" Snow asks, kissing her husband on the cheek as he joined her in the kitchen.

"The same as usual," he admits. Both parents take turns waking their eldest daughter, as it's a job neither of them particularly enjoy. "Sometimes when I'm forcing her awake, I still see that innocent face from when she was a baby and I just want to stop and never make her do anything she doesn't want to, ever again."

"Awww," Snow cooes. "You're such a soft daddy."

"Shut up, I am not." He defends, then continues, "You can't tell me you're not the same way."

Snow purses her lips together. "You're right, I can't." she admits finally.

"Uh-huh. How were the boys and Eva?" Charming asks, glancing at his almost eight year old twins and the six year old girl that sat between them. Somehow getting all three of their younger children up was less of a task than their one thirteen year old. Eva was preoccupied in her cereal, and the boys were pushing toy cars on the table as they ate. The boys always had their distinct personalities, but it surprised both parents how different Eva is to her older sister. It's as if every personality trait was completely opposite. While Emma was interested in exploring the world, and asked questions about everything, Eva was more quiet and reserved, content to stay home by herself and accept what she's told. While Emma was getting showered in constant attention at her age, Eva could go in her room and entertain herself with her own imagination for hours.

"The same as usual," Snow said, smiling ear-to-ear at her borrowed expression.

Because the twins and Eva were so close in age, they shared lessons, while Emma was on her own. Emma was also learning how to ride and take proper care of a horse, but mostly because it was something she enjoyed. "By the way, Regina is coming over a little earlier than originally planned. Can you make sure Emma is ready by four?"

"Of course," Charming says, sarcastically delighted to tell their daughter the thing that's going to be cut short for the change of plans is her riding lessons.

* * *

Although Emma fought her father in getting up, she actually felt a burst of energy sitting up in her bed. Today was the day she had been planning for weeks. Today she was going to get away.

Realizing she doesn't have much time before her parents notice she's taking too long to get downstairs, she grabs the bag she's packed from underneath her bed and takes a deep breath. She stuff her baby blanket in the top before closing the bag, a last minute addition.

She knows the path to take to get out of the castle unseen by her parents, it's the other workers that she's worried about. She doesn't want to be seen by anyone, as she's always been bad at quick thinking. Though the castle is big, and noise cannot travel that well, Emma's steps and movements are precise and deliberate.

"Miss Emma, where are you going?" Johanna calls. Johanna has been with her mom ever since Emma can remember. In fact, she's pretty sure since her mom was a child. Johanna doesn't even really do anything anymore, Emma thinks, but she just lives with us.

"I'm, um, lessons. The schedule got changed up because of my grandmother coming tonight, so I'm starting outside today."

Johanna nods, as if this makes perfect sense. "But before breakfast, Miss Emma? Your family is still in the dining area awaiting you."

"No, um, they know I'm not coming. Don't worry. Thanks Johanna." Emma says, giving the sweet elderly lady a kiss on the cheek.

After making it past Johanna, it was smooth-sailing. They've probably figured out I'm gone by now, Emma thinks. Or they think I've fallen asleep again and one of them went up to yell at me, only to find I'm not there. Emma smiles at this possibility, that for once they're going to be worried about her instead of mad at her. It feels like everything Emma does lately is just complicating her parents life. That, along with the idea of being a queen one day scares Emma enough to want to run away and never look back. A new life, an easy one, she can live off herself in the woods if she needs to. She wasn't fit to rule a kingdom. It seems preposterous to her. Silently, she curses her parents for making her the first born. Though she knows it has no logic in it, it makes her feel better to have someone to blame.

In the woods, she follows the pebbles and thinks of the first time she went here. Right after her brothers were born, her mother took her here. That was one of her happiest memories. She can't understand why now, but she can remember how much she did love her parents love story. Being a part of it that day always felt so special, like she belonged with them. Maybe she'll feel that sense of belonging if she goes back.

When night falls, she realizes she doesn't know how to build a fire, or know where to

sleep. She does know to be afraid of wild animals, so she decides to climb a tree and rest there. In her bag, she pulls out every piece of cloth she's brought and somehow covers her body with it. She has never been so cold in her life. It's worth it, she promises herself. If I see at least three stars through the leaves of the trees, she bargains with herself, then this is where I'm meant to be. She squeezes her eyes shut and then opens them, only to realize she can't see any stars at all through the full leaves on the tree. I'll find where I belong someday is the last thing she thinks before her mind wanders to a bout of restless sleep.

The sound of horses awakes her, and when she opens her eyes, she sees it's still dark. It must be in the dead middle of night. The horses are moving quite fast, she thinks. Then it's her fathers voice.

"Find her! I don't care what it takes."

An unrecognized voice comes next.

"Sir, she's not around here. We've checked this part of the woods inside and out."

"Well check again!" Her fathers voice is almost unrecognizable, it's filled with so much demand and anger. She tries to remember her usual calm and collected father, and match up the voices, but in her mind they are two completely different people.

"Please, I know she's going to be around here. This is the first place she would go." Emma hears her mother's voice then, and halfway through it sounds like someone punched her in the throat. She's crying, Emma realizes.

Then, Emma starts crying. It's because I miss my parents, and I feel bad, and I want to go back to them, Emma thinks. But she's still crying, trying to make herself silent, expending all her energy into creating silence. It's not because of that. It's because she doesn't want to be found. She doesn't want to face her parents with the shame of leaving them and the shame of leaving her future people. She's not fit for this, that is the only thing Emma knows for sure.

"I wish I had a way out of here." Emma whispers to herself, and she's surprised at the sound of her own voice.

"Well, hello, deary." Emma hears, and startled, almost falls straight on her face. Sitting upright on a branch coming from the same tree is a man with shoulder length hair and crocodile skin.

"Who are you?" Emma says, blinking hard to try to erase evidence of tears.

"Not important, deary." He says, with a chuckle that sends shivers down Emma's spine. "I heard you needed a wish. I can help... if you want."

"You can?" Emma asks, incredulous.

"Yes," he answers. "But you better act quick. You're about to be found."

"How do you know that?"

"I can see the future, deary." His chuckle again makes Emma wish she had her mom with her.

"Okay, I want your help." Emma decides.

"I know," the man says, obvious for someone who sees the future. "But I must warn you, all magic comes with a price."


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't know what that means," Emma admits to the crocodile skinned man.

"It's okay, deary, you'll soon find out." He promises her.

"How can you help?" Emma said, her tone turning urgent with the sounds of the horses hooves getting closer.

"I can get you out of this whole place," He says, doing a dance with his arms. Emma watches his fingers twirl the air.

"How." Emma says, disbelieving.

The man let's out that chuckle that makes Emma's hairs stand up, as if Emma's doubt was evidence of her stupidity. "You have a lot to learn, deary."

* * *

"Snow." Charming's voice cracks, despite the obvious try to sound reassuring.

"No, stop." Snow starts, briefly look up from the lines on her palms. "Don't say anything."

"Snow, you have to stop crying."

"HOW? How do I stop crying when my baby is missing? How do I pretend that my world didn't just become porcelein and shatter?"

"I know, I know. But we have three other children, Snow. They're worried about you."

This gives Snow pause. "I can't tend to them," she admits softly. "I can't move on."

"Someone took our daughter. Some twisted person took our daughter, but she is strong. Nothing and nobody is going to hurt her. We've got the best men looking for her. Whoever took her is going to be so, so sorry."

Snow nods, trying so hard to believe her husband. Wanting, and desperately needing to believe this story. She used every ounce of energy she could muster to ignore the gut feeling that seemed to be swallowing her whole.

"Can you take the children out today? I just need some time."

Charming knew that face probably better than any of her others. Still, he felt like he couldn't deny her this. "Of course," he promised. "Just please keep yourself safe."

Snow was shocked for only a moment at his unflinching ability to read her. "I always do."

* * *

"Where am I going?" Emma yells, barely audible over the swirls of the tornado-like hole.

"Don't worry about it," the man tells her, much too calm for Emma to empathize with. "Just close your eyes, you'll wake up, and all your problems will be just a part of your history."

"You promise?" Emma asks tearfully, her voice much quieter, but she never hears an answer. When she opens her eyes, he's gone. Along with everything she's ever known.

Standing up, she brushes off her knees. A brave face, yes, that is what she needs. She can overcome anything with a brave face. Despite her best efforts not to, her mind wanders to her mother. Reluctantly, she tries to picture how Snow White would react if she was put in this situation.

At least there's forest. It's familiar enough, so Emma climbs a tree. She still has her bag from her room in the castle, that seems so unreachably far away now. She falls asleep to the softness on her cheeks from her tears, evidence of a fate Emma has yet to come terms with.

* * *

"Rumpelstiltskin," Snow calls in the woods. "Rumpelstiltskin!" Louder, this time.

"What's all the yelling?" His voice is too smooth, and Snow suddenly feels ice in her soul looking at him.

"Where is she?"

"I'm afraid I'm a little lost on what you're talking about."

"Where is my daughter? Emma?"

"You'll have to fill me in a little more." At this, Snow loses her patience. Drawing back her bow, she continues.

"I know you had something to do with it. Tell me where she is and how I can get to her or I will kill you."

"You can't kill me, deary." He says lightly. "But I can make a deal with you."

"What do you want?" Snow says, allowing the ice inside of her to travel out with the words in the air.

"We can discuss that later. Let's just say you owe me one."

Snow drops her bow and corners Rumpel into a tree trunk, her forearm holding his neck. "I don't owe you anything. You did this," she practically spits. "Bring her back to me. She's just a child."

"Now, now, deary. That isn't very pure-of-heart to talk like, Snow White."

"I won't stop until she's home, I promise you that. Just tell me where she is."

"New York City. But that's all I can do to help you."

Speechless for the first time, Snow turns to leave Rumpel against the tree.

* * *

"We'll get her back. We'll find a way. We always do, Snow. You have to believe that."

"How? How are we going to figure out this one? She wasn't taken, Charming. She _left_. Whatever we've done, we failed. We made her want to leave. And now she's probably scared and on her own. We should have seen it coming-"

"Snow, take a breath. We can figure that all out once she's home with us here. First, we need to figure out how to get to this place called New York City."

Snow nods, and Charming watches the fear in her eyes turn to fire.

* * *

"Excuse me, are you okay?"

Emma hears a voice from below her spot in the tree. Maybe this person will go away if she ignores them. But her curiosity gets the best of her, and she looks down.

"Go away," she calls. "I want to be by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"You sound upset."

"Because you won't leave me alone!"

"Why are you in a tree?"

"Why won't you leave me alone?"

"My name is Neal."

This gives Emma pause. "Hi Neal", she says after thinking for a moment.

"Are you going to tell me your name?"

Emma thinks for a moment. "No, I'm not," she says thoughtfully.

"I won't tell anyone you're here. I don't have anyone to tell anyway. You can trust me."

"How do I know that?"

"You don't I guess."

Something in the boys voice makes Emma start coming down from the tree, however. "I'm trying to get home."

"You are? Home where?" He asks, as surprised at Emma was to hear the words come out of her mouth.

"I regret coming here. I'm supposed to be a princess. Someday I'm going to rule a kingdom. I got scared, and I ran away. Then this man with crocodile skin, he said he could help. It all happened so fast," Emma says, her speech getting faster with each word, "I didn't know what was happening. I just know I miss my mom and dad, and my little sister, and even my annoying twin brothers. But it's too late now. I can't go back, and even if I could, my parents wouldn't want me. I must have brought great shame to my family by running away from responsibilities. It's not how I was taught." At this point, Emma's speech is being broken up by pauses to cry. "I don't know what came over me. I just want to go home. But there's no way."

"A man with crocodile skin?" Neal says, as if this was the only important part of the story.

"Yes." Emma says, taken aback that this is the only thing he cares about.

"I think that's my father you're talking about."

"I didn't know he had a son."

"Well it's not one of his bragging points. He left me," Neal says, looking down. "That's how I ended up here. But I think I can help you. If you want to get home, I mean."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: To answer a question I got: Rumpel knows she's in New York City because he sent her there specifically. You will find out why in the next few chapters! ;) Also, wanted to give a quick shoutout to Leanne. Thank you for your reviews on so many chapters! I look forward to hearing your thoughts when I post! Hope you enjoy! And thank you to every review. I always check anxiously after I post... I love when you guys read into it and really care... not only does it make me smile uncontrollably but you guys give me good ideas! For instance, the scene with Snow and Emma's younger siblings this chapter. And don't worry, the follow-up scene for it will be all kinds of sweetness :)**

* * *

"You can?" Emma asks warily.

"Well, I think so. But we have to go see someone."

"Who?"

"It's a lady. She's magic."

"How do you know her?"

"She knew my father. I've stayed with her for awhile. But sometimes I just like to get away. I stay in these woods sometimes. It reminds me of home. You know, before." Neal says, kicking the pebbles. Emma can tell it's a subject she wants to dance around with Neal.

"How old are you?" She says, trying to change the subject.

"Sixteen. How about you?"

"Thirteen." Emma's tone is deflated, like being so young is a cruel fate.

"I ran away when I was fourteen," he tells her. "I understand."

"You do?"

"Yes, I understand. But it's different."

"How?" Emma says, scrunching her eyebrows and slightly annoyed.

"It just is."

"You don't even know what it was like for me!"

"It doesn't matter. Do you wanna go see her or not?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Emma answers. Then hesitantly, she adds, "You won't leave me right?"

"You don't want me to?"

Emma shakes her head. "Then I won't." He tells her, and for some reason, she believes him.

* * *

On her way to the library, Snow is stopped many times by people in the street to offer condolences. As far as they know, the knights are still looking for Emma and whoever took her. People approach her with promises of revenge, and justice. You couldn't understand if you wanted to, Snow thinks. It's a cruel fate to feel even more alone when you're surrounded by people. With a twinge of heartache, Snow's mind wanders to Emma, wondering if she felt this way when deciding to run away.

What did I say to make her feel so isolated and alone? Snow's mind can be a more destructive weapon than the sharpest sword in the kingdom, she realizes.

"Snow! I am so sorry about Emma." Belle's sweet voice was full of sincerity and concern.

Smiling at this woman felt like swallowing her heart, and it took all her energy.

"Thank you Belle," she says, resting her hand on Belle's arm. "I came to ask for help, though."

"Me? How could I be of any help to find who took Emma?"

"Actually, we think Emma traveled through a portal to a place called New York City. I thought maybe you've read in one of your books how we could get there."

"I-I'm not sure I have-" Belle starts.

"Please, you're our best shot. Think as hard as you can."

After a moment, Belle begins. "I think I've read once about traveling through realms. It's risky though."

"I will risk anything."

"I mean it's risky because we don't know if it works. It's part locator spell. It only works if you're looking for something. You need something that connects you to the person you're looking for."

"And that's it?"

"And a traveling potion. It's fairly easy to make if I'm remembering correctly. I can get you the book with the instructions right now."

When Belle comes back with a brown leather bound book, Snow kisses her on the cheek. "I will never be able to express my gratitude to you for this."

"Find Emma. That's the most important thing you can do."

"I will." Snow promises.

* * *

"I'm tired," Emma realizes her voices comes out more whiny than she intended.

"You're whiny." Neal says, and Emma is stung, despite not being able to fault him for thinking it.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be."

"It's okay," Neal says simply.

"Can I ask you something?" Emma asks tentatively.

"Sure, anything."

"How do you know... I mean how did you know. How did you know I wasn't lying, or crazy? Or... I don't know. I guess I actually just want to know about this world. Do people know about us? Because I had no idea this place even existed, and it's all so overwhelming-"

"No, they don't know anything. This world isn't so bad. People aren't always as nice or as friendly as the Enchanted Forest, but way better from the last place I came from. They leave you alone for the most part. They don't know about magic. At all. In fact, I bet you'd be a building specifically meant for crazy people if someone else found you. We call it a mental hospital here."

At this, Emma looks at him quizzically.

"Yeah, there's a lot of differences."

"I'm glad you found me." Emma says, after a moment of thinking.

"It's a good thing I did, huh?" Neal replies, smiling back.

* * *

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey?" Snow answers the tiny voice, not looking at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing. Do you need something?" Her voice was distracted, and Eva could hear it.

"Will you draw with me, mommy?"

"In a little bit, okay sweetie?" Snow replies, finally turning to face her daughter. Her face looked deflated and Snow felt a little wince in her heart. "I'm sorry, baby, I need to do something very important right now that absolutely cannot wait. Otherwise I'd drop everything to color with you. You know that, right?" Snow said, stroking her daughter's cheek with her thumb.

Eva gives her a weak smile, and returns to the doorway of Emma's room where Mickey and Daniel were waiting outside. Snow didn't even notice them before. Is she really that preoccupied?

"Where's Daddy?" Snow asks to all three children, to anyone who knows.

"Like you care," Mickey says, but it comes out as a snort.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't care about Dad, or us. All you care about is precious Emma!"

"Michael! Enough!" Snow yells, and Eva begins to cry. "You're upsetting your sister!"

"No _you_ are! Why don't you get that?"

"What do you want me to do, Michael? Forget Emma? She's your big sister! I can't just abandon my child."

"Funny, you didn't seem to have any problem with that before." Michael spits out the words, like it's toxic leaving his body. "Let's go, Eva. We'll play with you."

Snow wants to call out after them, to punish Michael for talking so deliberately disrespectful, but she's frozen in place. Her tongue presses the bottom of her teeth as she thinks about her next move.

Well her next move, after deciding what she's going to use for the locator spell. Something that connects her to Emma. Her first thought was her baby blanket, until she was reminded that Emma brought that with her. Her heart tightens imagining Emma still cuddling up to her baby blanket while she's alone and scared somewhere.

Suddenly she remembers exactly what she can use. She starts her trail to her bedroom and pulls a frame off the wall. Without warning, tears fall from her eyes and a drop gets on the red, yellow, and blue tornado effect drawing Emma made for her so many years ago. It was the first birthday Emma was old enough to know what was going on, and Snow treasured it deeply. Of course she knew how much she loved her daughter before then, but when her tiny, excited face came in running with it and chocolate cake for breakfast, well, Snow swore she lost her heart that day. It no longer beat inside her, but wherever Emma went. Emma was her heart living outside of her body, and in that moment she knew she always would be.


	7. Chapter 7

"We're almost there." Neal promises.

"Okay."

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

"Okay, good."

"Why? Should I be?" Emma asks, suddenly stopping and unsure of herself.

"No!" His answer is a little too quick.

"You're freaking me out, Neal. What's going on?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it." But Neal shifts his palms over the back of his neck, and Emma knows he's lying. That's something she always could tell. She started calling it a superpower when she was little, and she always used it against her parents and her siblings. She smiled unconsciously thinking of her family.

"Just tell me," Emma let her voice come out as a beg. "Please?"

"This woman is scary. She's not going to hurt you. I won't let her. But she is very strong, and I- I just don't want you to get overwhelmed okay? She's very powerful." He reiterated.

"But she won't hurt me?" Emma asked, and Neal shook his head no. "Will she help me?"

"I really hope so," Neal answers truthfully.

"What's her name?" Emma asked, almost hesitantly, and she didn't know why. Neal took a deep breath before answering.

"Her name is Cora."

* * *

"Eves?" Snow whispered in the darkness of her daughters bedroom.

Nothing at first. Then quietly, a squeak. "Are you awake, baby?"

"Yes."

"Can we talk for a minute?"

"Okay, mommy." Her voice is forgiving and loving, and Snow has the sudden urge to wrap her arms around her smallest baby and squeeze every ounce of pain that has ever clouded her pure heart.

"I want to talk to you about today."

"Are you mad at me?" Eva asks worriedly.

Snow's face softens even more. "No, sweetie, I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong at all." She watches the weight fall off Eva and realizes she's been carrying around this burden all day. "I want to talk to you about what your brother said. Do you remember?"

"He said you adambin us."

"Right." Snow says, swallowing. "Do you feel like that?"

"You're right hea, mommy." Eva says emphasizing an a sound in here and letting out a smile that makes Snow's heart soar.

"You're right, I am. And I love you more than all the stars in the galaxy combined."

"How many stars are in the galatsy?"

"That's a good question, my love." Snow lets out a soft chuckle at her daughter's inquiry. "An uncountable amount. It means my love for you is immeasurable." She kisses her daughter's forehead and asks her if she's tired. Not to her surprise, she shakes her head no. If Snow has learned anything from four children, it's that it's an unspoken law to never admit you're tired if you're under the age of ten.

"Will you tell me a story?" Eva asks, stifling a tiny yawn.

"Any story you want, my princess."

* * *

"Bae! Where have you been?"

"I went for a walk again." Neal shrugs.

"Without telling me?"

"Bae?" Emma whispers to Neal's shoulder. "It's my other name," he explains quickly.

"Who is this?" Cora asks, looking at the young blonde.

"This is Emma. She needs help."

"To get home. To the Enchanted Forest." Emma interjects, and Neal shots a glance at her.

"Emma? By any chance, are your parents Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes! Do you know them?!" She can't help it, her tone picks up from excitement.

"I know them very well." Cora says, her voice smooth.

"So you can help?!"

"Yes..." she answers. "Yes, I can help you." And Emma tries to take the words at face value, and not worry about hidden meanings that would match her sinking gut feeling.

"So how do we get back?" Emma asked, watching Cora mix ingredients in a glass bottle.

"Patience is a virtue, my dear."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means wait."

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. I just miss my parents. And my younger siblings. I just want to get back."

This gives Cora pause. She looks up, as if she's suddenly filled with regret. "It's okay, sweetie." The pet name doesn't make Emma feel warm and loved like when it comes from her mothers mouth though, which confuses her. Cora makes Emma feel like a can of worms was released in her stomach. Silently, she yells at her own self. Neal brought you here. You trust Neal. She's going to get you home. Be happy. Be grateful.

* * *

She watched Eva's chest rise steadily for a while after the young girl had fallen asleep. She knew Eva would be more easily forgiving than Mickey and Daniel.

She knocked on the door that led to the room her boys shared.

"Can we talk?" No answer, but Daniel slowly started to sit up in his bed. Michael did not acknowledge her presence. "Okay, well, I can talk. You guys just listen." Snow said, looking for their reaction. Michael peeked his eyes out of his covers, and Snow saw only innocence in them. She sat down on Daniel's bed. "I just wanted to say sorry, for today, and the past few days. I'll admit things have been fast-paced since Emma's disappearance, and it's made me kind of crazy." At this, Daniel lets out a giggle. Something about his mom calling herself crazy is funny to a seven year old boy. "But being crazy doesn't mean I love you guys any less. I want you guys to know if something ever happened to one of you, I'd be the exact same way. I would drop anything for you, any time of any day of the week. Do you understand that?"

"I know." Daniel responds first.

"Mickey, do you understand?"

He doesn't answer, but starts to nod. Snow could even swear she heard a faint yes coming from his lips.

"You two have no idea what you mean to me, and I am so, so deeply sorry for making you feel it was any less for even a brief moment of your life." She kisses both of their heads, and they both make an I'm-too-embarrassed-to-be-kissed-by-my-mom face. "But Michael Leopold, if you ever speak to me like that again, you will be in so much trouble. If you feel a certain way, tell me. Don't hold it all inside until you blow up, got it?"

"I got it."

"Good." Snow says. "Now, get some rest."

They both nod, then Michael speaks up. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"I- I love you." Michaels difficulty admitting it makes Snow hold back a smile, so she just blows air out of her nose and enjoys the words.

"Me too." Daniel says, sheepishly.

"I love you both so much, and I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

* * *

"What are you doing?!" Emma yells, waking up and kicking and screaming in a wood-made jail cell.

"I'm sorry, my dear, I truly am. I need the purest heart."

"The purest heart? Mine? You want to take my _heart_?! _Why_?!" By the last word, Emma is practically screaming.

"Shhh, shhh dear. I will explain it to you but only once, so listen carefully. And no yelling." And for some reason, Emma nods, as if this was reasonable. "I am working on a curse that will force my daughter to me. You see, she left me many years ago. She banished me here, without magic. But I've figured out how to regain it through much practice and sacrifice, and now I've figured out how to bring my daughter back to me. And the most important ingredient-well- you possess it. The purest heart."

"But my heart isn't pure! I left my parents! I abandoned them like your daughter did to you! My heart is tainted!" Emma's tone was desperate and pleading, and she knew that and resented it.

"Ah, but darling, it is pure. You're the product of the truest love. You didn't leave out of spite or anger, it was selflessness. You thought your future kingdom would be better off without you. You have only known love and acceptance. Your heart is the purest."

Uncontrollably, Emma starts crying. For the first time since she can remember, she stops putting energy into making herself silent. She lets the sobs weave in and out of her chest, stealing her breath. She missed the sound of her mom's voice, and her dad's stupid jokes, and her brothers always messing up her room, and the way Eva was always making up stories. She missed Johanna, and the way the third step on the staircase by her room made a weird creaking noise. She missed everything about home and wondered why she ever chose to come here. Then she realized, she didn't. She was sent here.

"Rumpel?"

"Hmm?" Cora was preoccupied.

"Rumpel sent me here. He appeared out of nowhere and, do you know why?"

At this, she looked up and smiled. "He kept his side of the deal."

"Deal?"

"Yes, deal," Cora answered starting to get visibly annoyed and uninterested in talking to Emma. Emma was wiping her eyes, trying to steady her breathing for normal conversation. "I'm watching over his son Baelfire and making sure no harm comes to him, and Rumpel, well, he's helping me complete my curse."

"By giving you the purest heart." Emma said, understanding, her voice emotionless.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Double update for mother's day yahooo! When I get reviews I get anxious to update as soon as possible! I just love hearing from you guys :) Talk to you all after the finale tonight! (I'm practically shaking from excitement and nervousness because I just know there's going to be some awful cliffhanger that we're going to have to wait months for) Also I can't wait to see what the new Charming baby's name ACTUALLY is! Okay I'm gonna let you guys get to reading. Bye thanks for reading and hope you like it! If you wanna make me smile uncontrollably ya know what to do ;) (leave a review) **

* * *

"You won't get away with this!" Emma promises. "My parents are going to find me! They won't give up..." She trails off, surprised by the sound of her own voice. She didn't plan these words, but now that she's thought them, she believes them.

"Alrighty, sweetie."

"I'm serious," Emma says, annoyed. Then she wonders. "Where's Neal?"

"Baelfire? He's... preoccupied at the moment." Cora smiles.

"So he doesn't know what's going on?" Emma says, hopeful.

"No," Cora says, as if she felt bad at her innocent tone. She's already won anyway, so there's no harm in telling her the truth. "He thought he was helping you. Don't worry."

For some reason, facing her imminent doom seemed a little better knowing Neal didn't set her up for it. She had good instincts on knowing who to trust, and it would have really hurt her ego if she was that wrong about Neal.

Emma sighed and sat down on an uncomfortable wooden stool. Her brain was telling her this was it. She was never going to see her parents or her siblings again. This is how she was going to die. At least it will reunite a mother and daughter. Maybe it's for a good cause. Maybe it will help. She tried to accept her death, but for some reason she couldn't cry. Did she not care about dying? Maybe she didn't want to be alive. But no, that wasn't it. She did want to be alive. She didn't think she was going to die today. She knew she would get out of here. She knew her parents wouldn't give up on her.

That knowledge gave her the strangest sensation. She was full of hope. And hope created something even more powerful: strength, and courage.

* * *

"Charming, I need to do it today. I need to go today."

"I know." He said, understanding without explanation.

"I'm worried about the kids," Snow said, her voice breaking a little. "I don't want them to feel abandoned. But that's probably how Emma feels. Charming what do you do, if your kids are in different places, and they both need you there with them?"

"Snow... you can't do this to yourself."

"Can't I?"

"You're doing the best you can. No one can fault for you that." Charming says, grabbing her shoulders. She looks him in the eyes and manages a small smile, a weak attempt to show him she's grateful for him.

"I just hope they'll forgive me."

"Forgive us." Her husband corrects her. Snow looks at him quizzically. "Of course, I need to go. Emma needs me."

"But if we both go looking for Emma, the kids are really going to think we abandoned them."

"Snow, listen to me. Emma is our daughter and she needs us. Mickey and Daniel and Eva, they love us, no matter how mad they get. They will understand, maybe not today or tomorrow, but they will. We'll have a staff member watch over them. I'm sure they'll get to stay up late and enjoy themselves. They won't be mad. Emma needs us." He repeated, and the effect worked.

"Let's talk to them now. The sooner we get there, the better." Nodding at his wife, Charming follows Snow to the room where the children get their lessons.

"Boys? Eva? We need to talk to you." Charming says sternly enough for their teacher not to question. Silently, she leaves the room. "We have to go out today."

"To find Emma?" Mickey asks.

"Yes," Snow says, her voice tender. "We're going to bring her back and everything is going to go back to normal."

Eva gets up suddenly and wraps one arm around each of her parents legs. "Yood luck."

"Thank you, baby." Snow runs her fingers through Eva's dark hair. Her eyes were big and blue like her fathers, possibly the only thing that connects her physical attributes to her big sisters. Charming kneels down to be eye level with his youngest daughter.

"Be good, okay? You know the rules." Eva nods and wraps her arms around her dad's neck.

"Boys..." Snow starts.

"Just be safe, alright?" Michael says, an offering.

"And come home soon." Daniel adds.

"I love you boys. When we get home, we're going to do something to celebrate." All three kids nod excitedly, and then Snow looks at Charming. "Ready?" She asks, under her breath.

"Of course."

* * *

Emma was thinking about the first time she heard her parents tell them their love story. She had thought it was the most magical thing in the entire world. She never pictured the strength of their love would be so fatal to her. Emma's mind wanders to the time she was with her mom alone, and finally asked the question she always wondered.

"How did you know he'd come back for you?" She had asked her.

"I just believed in him."

"But what if you were wrong?" Emma had pushed.

"I had hope. And if I didn't, I wouldn't have come back, even if he was good on his word. We would have never fallen in love, and I wouldn't have the most amazing thing in the world."

"The most amazing thing in the world?"

"You, of course." Her mother had answered her simply, then tickled her belly. Emma suddenly felt sick thinking of those small moments with her parents. Before her mom turned off the light that night and left, she had told Emma that hope is the most powerful thing anyone can have. It's the only thing stronger than any magic in the world.

Emma clenched her fists and thought about destroying the wood that imprisoned her. How would I destroy it? She lets her mind decide. Fire. She would burn all the wood. Within moments of these thoughts, her eyes pop open to a scream of surprise.

"How did you do that?" Cora yells over the flames.

"I-I dunno." Emma is awestruck at her own self. I can't figure this out now. I need to finish what I started. She squeezes her eyes shut and pictures stopping Cora. But how? She can't wrap her mind around how. I just need to stop her, she thinks. I just need to get home. Tie her up? I don't know, I don't know. Emma's mind is frantic as she feels the heat of flames sharpen. Oh god, I need to stop the fire. No, I need to stop Cora. She's going to get me. What do I do? What do I do? Collect your thoughts. No, you don't have time for that. No, Emma, stop, you have to. She could feel burning on her skin from the flames. Put Cora in a jail cell. Like the one you were in. No, not wood. Put her in a jail cell, but worse. What's worse? Metal. Emma clenches her first and focuses on it, but when she opens her eyes, Cora's already gone.

I messed up. I missed my chance. She's going to come back for me. I have to get away. Emma's thoughts are racing as fast as her heart. She blinks back tears, realizing she has no plan on getting home now. I have magic, though. I'm magic. I can do anything, probably. Except get Cora. Oh how will I get home without Cora or Neal? The thought of Neal makes her stop.

First she'll find Neal, then she'll find home.

* * *

"There's enough magic here to get us there, but once we get there, we need to hold onto it. There's enough to bring us straight back to the forest, with Emma only. If we lose this somehow, we're pretty much doomed."

"How uplifting." Charming retorts.

"Don't make jokes! This is serious!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Let's do it. Are you ready?"

Snow nods and drops the potion over the piece of paper with red, blue, and yellow scribbles. Suddenly a green hole appears, as much tornado-like as the drawing in Snow's hands.

"We have to jump in?" Charming yells over the swirling noise. Instead of yelling, Snow nods and takes his hand.

When they land, they're in a front yard, face down.

"Charming?" Snow says, lifting her head and peering over her husbands body.

"I'm good, I'm good, are you good?"

"I'm good." Snow says. "We're here."

"So this is New York City." Charming says looking around to the secluded area they are in. "There's not many people."

"Huh, you're right," Snow agrees, then looks down. "Look, the paper is glowing. It must have brought us right to her!"

They follow the paper to the front door of the small cottage-like house they landed in the yard of. Sounds of cars and traffic provide background noise in the distance.

"Should we knock?" Snow asked, not knowing the precedent for finding a 13 year old missing girl from another realm.

"Hell with that! My daughter is in there!" Charming says, kicking open the door. Snow checks the doorknob and rolls her eyes, it was open anyway. "Emma!" Charming yelled through the walls.

"Do you think she's living here with a family? Maybe she didn't want us to come after all." Snow says, looking at the normal-looking living space.

"Look at this." David says, opening a slightly cracked door that leads to a staircase. He jumps back in surprise. "It's hot! There's a fire!" And both parents eyes widen.

"Emma!" Snow yells as both of them carelessly run down towards the fire. "Emma!" Snow's tone is louder, and full of desperation.

Snow stops in her tracks, and David runs into her. "Emma." Her voice was like if the act of color draining out of your face had a sound, David thinks. Then, in a flash, he sees what she was looking at. Emma's lifeless body lying on the ground, surrounded by flames.

"Charming!" Snow screams as he runs into the fire.

"Go!" He yells assertively, coming back, pointing his head towards the stairs with Emma's body lying in his arms.


	9. Chapter 9

Obediently, Snow runs up the stairs in front of her. She doesn't think or feel- only moves. She realizes how robot-like her movements are when she gets to the top and doesn't immediately hear David. Snapping back to reality she turns around and breathes a sigh of relief when she sees her husband and daughter coming up the stairs.

"We need to get out of here fast." Snow follows up her statement by starting towards the door. She checks behind her to make sure Charming is following with Emma.

Immediately after they exit the house, they lay Emma down on the front lawn.

"Emma, sweetie. Wake up." Snow pleads, stroking her hair behind her ears. Charming takes a pulse and confirms she's okay.

"Her pulse seems normal, a little slow, but not dangerous. She just passed out," he concludes. Snow takes a deep breath and kisses Emma's forehead.

"We're here now, baby. You're safe. We won't let anything happen to you." Snow promises in Emma's ear.

"Where should we go? Emma needs to recuperate. She'll never make it through a portal in this condition."

"There's a woods about a mile down from here. We can make shelter there." Snow says, unaware of any other options in the city she was present in. She wanted to remain inconspicuous anyway.

Charming shook his head at his wifes uncanny connection to nature and woods. How she knew it from a mile away seemed ridiculous to him, but somehow he knew she wasn't wrong. Along the way, tears start falling down Snow's face without warning.

"Snow, what's wrong? You're crying."

"I know, I don't know where it came from-"

"Emma's safe now, it's all okay," Charming reassures her. "Mickey and Daniel and Eva are safe. And soon we're going to be all reunited again and everything will go back to normal."

"I know, I know, everything's okay. I'm crying because I'm happy," Snow says, smiling. "I knew I missed Emma, but to just see her alive and okay and with us. It's overwhelming."

David smiles at his wife as they approach the beginning of a wooded area. "I'll get some soft leaves for her to rest on." Snow says, moving quickly.

"Hey buddy," Charming says when he's alone with his daughter. His tone is soft. "Take your time, okay? We're just so happy to be near you again. You had no idea how hard it was to even... breathe without you around. But if you ever pull anything like this again, we're going to handcuff you to the edge of your bed. Got it?" He waits for a response for a minute, then kisses her forehead over her still closed eyes.

Snow returns a few moments later and finds Charming just admiring their daughter. "I do that, too." She admits from behind him.

Startled, he turns to her. "I can't believe this is the little baby we read bedtime stories to and the face we wiped after she ate chocolate cake with her hands. I can't believe this... this is the love we created together."

A warmness washed over Snow's heart as she leaned in to kiss her husband. After settling Emma in, they lay down on both sides of her, both a little more protective than they'd ever known themselves to be before.

They awaken to the sound of Emma's voice.

"Mom? Dad?" Emma says, sounding almost distraught. "Am I dreaming? Am I dead? Did she find me and kill me and now I'm dead and I'm finally seeing you again?" She finishes, trying to catch her breath. Her thoughts are all over the place.

"Sweetie, no, no, we're right here. We came to get you." Snow's voice is gentle, not focused on anything else Emma said. "Shh. We're right here." She holds Emma's head to her chest and Charming wraps his hand around her arm.

"You're okay now, Emma. We're going to protect you. No one is going to hurt you."

"She'll find me," Emma cries.

"Who will find you, Emma?" Charming asks. "Who is trying to hurt you?"

"Cora. She... she wants my heart. I was trying to find a way home and Neal said she knew about magic and she could help me. But then I woke up and I was surrounded by a jail cell and she said she needed my heart."

"Cora?!" Snow says knowingly, looking at Charming.

"Do you remember anything else?" Charming continues to Emma. "Like how the fire started or where Cora went?"

"I-I started the fire, I think." Emma admits, and both of her parents eyes widen in surprise. "I just thought it. I wanted to stop her. I thought about how I would get out of wooden chains and then it just... happened."

"What about Cora?" Her father pushes.

"I- I don't remember. I think she got away. I couldn't stop her." Emma cries.

"No, no, sweetie," Snow promises. "We didn't even know you had magic. And stronger than Cora's to get out of her trap. You saved yourself. Emma, you are incredible."

"But she's gone. And she must have Neal." Emma continues crying.

"Neal? The one who led you to her?"

"He didn't know she was going to hurt me. He thought she would help me go home to you guys." Emma's tearful confession made Snow's heart sink to her gut, imagining Emma being in danger and trying to find a way home. We should have come sooner, she thinks, cursing herself.

"Well we're safe now, Ems. And we can go home." Charming tries to reassure her. Emma looks up at her dad and blinks.

"I can't leave Neal with her. She was only taking care of him because Rumpel was to get her my heart in exchange for his safety. She doesn't have it, but she has Neal. Do you know what means?"

"That she's not going to keep her end of the deal." David says, realizing.

"But why would Rumpel care about this boy's safety?" Snow asks, swallowing her anger at the idea of The Dark One trading her daughters life for some stupid deal.

"It's his son," Emma explains, looking at her mom.

* * *

"Emma, you know I love your heart more than anything in the entire world. But maybe Neal is okay, and you're just putting yourself in more danger. We can go home right now and everything can go back to normal."

"Mom, I know you're looking out for me. But I know it in my soul that Neal needs my help. I can't abandon him."

The word makes Snow flinch thinking of her other children waiting at home. "Well how are we going to find him?"

"We'll go back to the house and find something of his. I can find him with that. I'm magic, remember?"

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, buddy." Charming tells his daughter sadly.

"Well I'm going to make it work that way!" Emma yells, sure of herself. Snow and Charming can't help it, they look at each other over Emma's head and raise their eyebrows and smile at her teenage-like outburst. It was good to have her back.

"Her house was burning down in flames when we left. What makes you think anything is even left to use?" Snow challenges her.

"Are you guys with me or against me?" Emma says, frustrated.

"We're with you. Always." They promise.

Much to her parents, and Emma's, surprise, when they arrive at the house it is in perfect condition. All their mouths drop at the lack of evidence of a fire that was engulfing the property barely more than twelve hours ago.

"She's back." Emma says flatly.

"Emma, you can't go in there." Snow's tone is frighteningly assertive.

"Mom-"

"Emma Ruth."

"I don't want to be separated from you guys again," Emma admits, her voice small. Snow's face softens and she looks at her husband for help.

"Okay, we'll go in together," Charming starts and Snow narrows her eyebrows at him. "I'll go looking for Cora and Neal. Emma you'll stay with your mother. Snow, you just make sure no one gets near Emma." All three agree to these terms, somewhat reluctantly. "Emma, if we, for even a moment, think your life is in danger, we are leaving without question and going straight through the portal home. Do you understand that?"

Emma nods at her father, trying not to look defeated.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I hope you guys will bear with me and are not sick of this story yet because I still have so much more planned for it and I really want to see it through to the end. But how amazing was the finale? My Charming family lovin heart was so satisfied. Emma when she thought Snow died and then when she cried watching her parents fall in love. I think I just about rolled over and died. Anyway, hope you'll stick with my lil story here for a little bit longer ;) **

"Should we just go through the front door?" Emma asks her parents.

"Do you know another way?"

Emma shakes her head no. "Let's be quiet. We want the element of surprise."

"When did you become an expert at breaking in homes?" Snow challenges her daughter.

"Mom, is that really your main focus right now?" Emma answers sarcastically.

"Well yes, my daughter being a criminal is worth focusing on, don't you think?!" Snow says, half-heartedly.

"Shh. Look," Charming says, peering in the first story window. "He's tied to a chair right out in the open. You can see it through the window."

"Cora knew we'd come for him." Snow realizes. "We have to figure out our plan now."

But it's too late, Emma is already opening the front door to the house.

"Emma!" Snow hisses, and both parents follow their thirteen year old daughter.

"Neal! Are you okay?" Emma calls, but his mouth is stuffed with some type of sock and tied around his head. She runs to take it out of his mouth.

"I'll find Cora. Stay with her." Charming yells to his wife and starts down the stairs, his hand resting on his sword.

"What did she do to you?" Emma cries.

"I don't know, I just remember her thanking me for being a good little boy and bringing her her heart and then I was asleep. When I woke up I was in this chair all tied up."

"She wanted my heart!" Emma exclaims, and Neal's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"What?!"

"Yeah! She was going to take my heart! But I got away."

"And you came back for me?"

"Of course," Emma says, letting out a smile.

"You foolish, foolish girl." Suddenly Neal's voice turns into a woman's and in a cloud of purple smoke, Neal disappears and Cora appears.

"Cora." Emma says, but it doesn't come out much like anything, because her voice is too dry to make any intelligible sounds.

"Stand back!" Snow yells, drawing her bow and arrow from the pouch on her back.

Cora looks at her briefly and flicks her wrist, freezing Snow against the wall.

"Mom!" Emma screeches and jumps towards Cora. Cora sends her backward easily, and Emma hits a wall hard. Her hand must have cut something sharp, because there's blood trickling from it. Squeezing her fists, she focuses as hard as she can on what she wants. To go home, with her parents, to go back to normal. To stop Cora from hurting anyone ever again.

"What the hell is this?" Cora says, in genuine surprise. When Emma looks up, she realizes she put Cora in a bubble. She tilts her head, surprised at what her mind did. Why a bubble?

Emma clenches her fists again, and this time Cora knows what's coming, so she flicks her wrist to open a hole under Emma. Emma waits for Cora's wrist flicking to do something, but nothing amounts from it. The bubble is preventing her from using magic, Emma realizes suddenly. A wave of calmness washes over her as she thinks about her next move. She clenches her fists and closes her eyes, and when she opens them, she sees Cora disintegrating into dust inside the bubble.

As this happens, Snow unfreezes and looks at Emma.

"Did I kill her?" Emma asks her mom, scared.

"I think you... did," Snow says. "Because her magic came undone." She proves this by moving her arms and legs. "Emma, if she's really gone... you just defeated one of the strongest wielders of dark magic that there is. You have power that is unfathomable." She looks at her daughter's wide eyes.

"I just wanted to get you back," Emma says, her eyes brimming with tears and Snow quickly wraps her arms around her daughter.

"You did great, Emma." Stroking her hair, she tries to calm her down. No one should carry the burden that Emma will have the rest of her life for taking anothers.

"Guys! Snow! Emma! Be careful, that's not really Neal!" Charming yells, carrying a limp 16 year old boy in his arms.

"Dad!" Emma yells, and David places Neal down on the couch lying adjacent to them.

"Emma, oh god, oh Emma, I am so glad you're okay. Where's Cora?" He asks hugging his daughter, and then sees Snow ferociously shaking her head over Emma's shoulders.

"I-I-" Emma begins, but then becomes hysterical. Snow closes her eyes, as if the sound brings her physical pain. "Daddy, I killed her."

David's mouth falls open before he can help himself. A million things race through his mind, but the only thing he can think to say is "how?"

"With her magic," Snow answers for her, trying to soothe her daughters sobs. "She was very brave. She saved my life."

David wants to tell Emma how proud he is of her, but he knows it won't be any help now.

"You found Neal?!" Emma looks at her dad, as if she's just noticing the boy on the couch.

"You were right Emma. Cora was going to hurt him if you didn't come back here." This statement makes Emma look at her Dad straight in the eye, as if she was somehow thanking him for telling her that.

"Neal, are you okay? Wake up." Emma says, kneeling down by the couch. As a result of her impatience, she pinches his arm. "Wake up," she whispers.

"Ow." A groggy voice says, and he rubs his arm.

"Neal!"

"Emma?"

"Yeah, it's me, Emma," she smiles. "Are you okay?"

"I- I think so. I don't remember what happened."

"You were kidnapped! And tortured! And left to die!" Emma shouts.

"Hey buddy, slow down. Don't get him worked up when he just woke up," Charming warns Emma, rubbing her back.

"Sorry," she says softly, looking at her father, then turning back to Neal. "You're okay now, though. Cora was going to hurt you and it was my... it was my fault. I got away before she could get my heart. That's why this happened to you. I'm so sorry. It shouldn't have happened to you. It's not fair and I was just-"

"Please stop." Neal scrunches his eyebrows looking at her guilt stricken face. "You're being stupid."

"What?"

"You're being stupid. None of this is your fault. You didn't ask for any of this, okay?"

"Okay." Emma says, swallowing.

"Emma, I don't want to rush you, but we need to get home as quickly as possible." Charming warns, interjecting.

"We can't just leave Neal! Can he come with us?"

Charming and Snow look at each other sadly, neither of them wanting to break the news to Emma. "There's only enough magic for the three of us to get back."

"But we can't just leave him here by himself!"

"I'll be okay, Emma. I promise. This is the world I want to live in. I'm happy here."

"But who will take care of you?"

"There are places I can go. I promise, I'll be okay."

"I don't want to just leave you," Emma says, tears falling from her eyes. "I don't want to never see you again," she confesses, wiping her cheeks.

"I'll see you again," he smiles. "I'll find you."

Emma kisses his cheek as a thank you for all he tried to do for her, and then turns to face her parents. She takes one of their hands in each of hers and takes a deep breath, preparing to go back home.


	11. Chapter 11

The first thing Emma is overwhelmed with is relief. There's only a small scar where she gashed open her hand hitting the wall. Has a lot of time passed? No it can't have. Could it? She starts to sit up and realizes she's in her bed. Her room looks like she had never left. Suddenly, Emma starts panicking... did she dream the whole thing? Has it only been one night?

Shooting out of bed, she runs out her door to Eva's room, the room that was occupied adjacent to Emma's.

"Eva?" Emma calls, noticing she's not in her bed.

"Rye hea," a voice calls from the side of the bed that's not visible from the doorway.

"Eva!" Emma yells excitedly, and crouches down by her little sister. She wraps her arms

tightly around the small little girl. "I missed you so much."

"Emma? You back?"

"I'm back,"

"For good?" Eva asks, warily.

"For good," Emma smiles at the truth in her statement. "Will you come with me

downstairs?" Emma asks, not wanting to leave her little sister. Excited, Eva nods and takes Emma's hand.

"Well hello, sleeping beauty!" Snow teases when Emma walks into the kitchen.

"Mom, my friends mom is the actual Sleeping Beauty. Can you not?"

"Sorry," Snow says laughing. "Hey, how about we all do something together today? No

lessons."

At this, Mickey and Daniel shoot up from lying monkey-style on the couch. "Can we?!"

Mickey yells.

"I think it is well deserved and necessary." Snow announces. "Will one of you go get your father?"

"I will!" Daniel calls, getting up to run.

"Sweetie, can you go get your jacket?" Snow asks, crouching down to Eva. The six year old doesn't even give an answer before she's on her way to the coat closet.

"Hi Mike," Emma says, moving towards her younger brother who's intently tying his shoes. He doesn't look up at her. Watching, Snow tries to decide if she should intervene, but decides to let her daughter handle it herself. "I know you're mad at me," Emma continues. "I know I deserve it. What I did was selfish... you're my little brother and it's my job to look out for you and I didn't think of you at all. I only thought of myself. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. You deserved better from me. I promise to be that for you. I hope you'll forgive me."

Finally, Michael looks up at his older sister. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again," he confesses. He wraps his arms around his older sister, and teary-eyed, she returns the embrace, grateful to be with her family again.

* * *

"Snow, you need to give it a rest." Charming's voice is assertive and surprises Snow. Laying in bed, Snow's mind is racing.

"Don't tell me what I need to do."

"Emma is home with us, all the kids are happy and safe, we had a great day today. Don't push it further than it needs to go."

"Further than it needs to go?! That man traded my daughter's life for a deal. He can't get away with it. She's just a baby. He took advantage of her."

"I agree," Charming says, his tone becoming more calm. "But in the end, the world will serve him his justice. We don't need to intervene."

"Okay," Snow's tone is defeated.

"Thank you," Charming whispers, kissing his wife.

"Mhmm."

* * *

"Where's mom?" Daniel asks, sitting by his siblings eating breakfast. There was still an awkwardness when it came to discussing Emma and anything in regards to it. Especially when she was sitting right there.

"It has nothing do with me," Emma said, slurping her cereal.

"No one said it did," Charming assures his daughter. "She went for a walk with Red. She's going to bring back some extra wood to have a fire tonight."

"Marshmallows?!" Eva asks.

"You got it, kiddo."

At this, all three younger kids show visible excitement. Emma looks at her Dad warily, and he raises his eyebrows, as if a promise that he's truly telling the truth. Emma shrugs and goes back to her cereal.

* * *

"Rumpelstiltskin!" Snow yells, when she's far enough alone in the woods. Then she sits on a log and waits.

"You called?"

"I'm going to kill you!" She yells, drawing her sword. Rumpel lets out a chill-inducing chuckle and moves his hand to knock the sword across the ground of the forest.

"What's the problem, deary?" Chuckling, again.

"You traded my daughter to Cora! You took advantage of her when she was vulnerable and scared!"

At this, Rumpel's eyebrows raise, as in visible shock. "No, deary, you're all wrong."

"What do you mean?" Her tone is agitated and vengeful.

"I was not sending Emma there to get her heart ripped out. I sent Emma because she's the savior. She's the only one who wields enough light power to defeat Cora."

"The... savior?"

"Yes, didn't you know? Your daughter was destined to save us all." Rumpel says it obviously, as if it's the most common thing in the world.

"But... but she's just a baby." Snow says, not sure whether to believe him or make another attempt at his head.

"No, deary, she's your baby. But she's a young woman now. And if I'm not mistaken, which I never am, she succeeded, did she not?"

"Well, yes. She did."

"She freed my boy from Cora's grasp," Rumpel says, suddenly not meeting Snow's eyes. "Something I couldn't even do myself."

"If he's free now... why don't you go get him?" Snow says, tilting her head.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. He has to want to come home."

At this confession, Snow nods and turns to walk away, suddenly eager to see Emma's face, to drink in the slightest possibility that little Emma could be the savior.

* * *

"I brought firewood!" Snow says, bursting through their front door, but no one is in earshot. Scrunching her eyebrows, she checks all the rooms in the downstairs and can't find any members of her family. It's rare the boys aren't running around downstairs if they're not sleeping.

"Maisy," Snow asks the woman dusting the shelves on the walls. "Have you seen my husband? Or any of my children?"

"No, I'm sorry... I haven't." Maisy says, as if she just realized she hasn't seen them in a while.

When she gets upstairs, she reaches her room first, so she opens it to look for Charming. Half-expecting him to still be missing, she's surprised to find him sitting in a chair by the wall.

"Were you waiting for me?" Snow asks, surprised. "Where are the kids?"

"You lied to me." He says simply, and Snow's mouth goes dry.

"W-what?"

"You went to see Rumple."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you, Snow!"

"I'm sorry, I just had to talk to him. I had to know why he sent her."

"But why did you lie? Why couldn't you just have told me?"

"You didn't understand."

"Do you really think that, Snow?"

"I'm sorry Charming... I shouldn't have lied. I really shouldn't have," she says sincerely.

"What if you got hurt? What if HE hurt you? I could have gone with you. I could have protected you," he says, grabbing both her hands.

"I can protect myself," she reminds him.

"I know... I just... I feel better when I know you're being honest with me."

"I know. From here on out," Snow says, looking at him and smiling. "I promise. Now let's go get our children."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hiiiii. A few things. This is not chapter 12. I decided to post sort of an "interlude" flashback scene for some cute Charming/Emma time. This takes place when she was about six years old. Also in regards to "present time" in the story... I just wanted to mention a few things. 1) Snow made a reckless decision going to see Rumple but she did find out something very important about her daughter because of it. 2) The next chapter is going to start by skipping ahead a few years (it will be Emma's birthday... you'll see what age) because that's when my next story line comes in. And lastly 3) I know I have been updating pretty regularly every day, but unfortunately it is unlikely that is going to continue. BUT it will never be too long, probably every 2-3 days. Thanks for reading this long ol' note of mine, and also remember, reviews *do* motivate me to write and post faster! :D**

* * *

"Mommy... I want mooooommmy." Emma cries, her voice crackly and hoarse.

"Shh, shh baby. Mommy will be in here soon. I promise. Don't talk so much, your voice needs its rest."

Silently, Emma squeezes her eyes tightly, in order to stop tears. She's never been this sick, or felt this lousy in her life. Snow brought the boys to Red's house for the day, and wasn't supposed to be back until nightfall. Emma's come down with this sickness so suddenly, and David knows Snow won't be happy at all about not being here when Emma was crying for her.

"Daddyyyyyyyyyyy," Emma whines.

"What do you need? A cold cloth? Pudding? Water? I can get you anything you need baby."

"Daddddddddddddddddyyyyyy."

"Emma, please, just tell me what you need me to do," David practically begs his daughter. He's never had to handle anything like this alone before and he can't stand the idea of Emma being in pain for even a moment under his care. In response, Emma lets out a small whimper, and in the process somehow rips out David's heart. "I'll be right back, okay, baby? Stay here." He instructs her and then brings her blanket up to cover her shoulders.

Once out of her room, he raises his hands over his head in defeat. Okay, focus. How do you take care of a sick little girl? A cold compress will bring down her fever, and her favorite chocolate ice cream will definitely help that sore throat. While getting it, he realizes she should probably eat something more wholesome too, so he prepares soup and plain crackers for her stomach.

"Emma?" Charming whispers, in case she's asleep. She opens her eyes and lets out another soft whimper.

"Here, this is going to help," he promises her, putting the cold rag over her forehead. "Are you hungry?" She shakes her head no and closes her eyes. "How about you try a little bit of soup and then you can have some ice cream?" This sparks her attention enough for her to open her eyes again and nod.

"My trote hurt," Emma explains as she sips the soup her father spoon feeds her. She lets out a soft groan swallowing the soup.

"Is it your throat?" David asks, regarding the groan.

"My tummy," Emma warns as quickly as she can, but within seconds she vomits all over herself and her bed. The shock of her own body, perhaps, or maybe feeling so lousy, makes her start crying as soon as she's finished.

"It's okay, shhhh, it's okay. It's no big deal Emma, I promise. I do it all the time." This makes Emma stop crying for a moment and stare at her father. "No really, I do," he continues and makes a fake vomiting sound. "See? No big deal."

"You didn't really do it, Daddy," Emma says, trying stifle a giggle.

"Well, I'm not really sick right now, luckily, cause then who would take care of you?" He says, sweeping Emma up and out of the vomit-covered bed. "I bet a hot bath would clear the congestion all out of your head anyway. You'll feel much better after."

David takes off Emma's vomit-covered pajamas and starts a pile on the floor of her room. He strips her bed quickly, curling her sheets into a ball and adding it to the pile of her pajamas. "Let's go," he motions, picking up the whole ball of dirty laundry to add to a hamper Snow keeps in the bathroom. It suddenly dawns on him what a convenient idea it is to keep it there. He smiles thinking about his wife.

"I think this is what you use to wash your hair," David says to his daughter, who was sitting chest deep in soapy water.

"No Daddy, the wed one." Emma corrects him by lifting her finger out of the water to point to the red bottle on the shelf of bathtub wall.

"Ah, thank you. I'm still learning, clearly." As a response, Emma lets out a yawn and Charming can't help but think about how draining being this sick must be on her little body. "Are you tired?" He asks her, a follow-up to the yawn.

"Nooo," she says, looking at him.

"Fair enough," he laughs, realizing he still better finish up quickly so she can lie down. "How would you like to pick out your pajamas?" He asks, hoping it will be enough to make her want to get out of the tub. Luckily, it is. Wrapping her in a towel that's probably double her size, just because it's the softest one, he walks behind her as she waddles to her bedroom. She immediately goes to her drawer to pick out her outfit. Of course, it doesn't match, because she can't make that big a commitment to one style. Matching has never been her strong suit. She picks out a soft pink shirt that has a cartoon-like princess crown right in the middle of the belly and fuzzy lime green pants with frogs on them. Charming pulls fresh sheets over Emma's bed while she dresses herself in her own outfit.

"You look beautiful, Miss Emma, if I do say so myself." Charming says at Emma's choice in wardrobe.

"Thanks for sayin dat." Emma says, blushing a little at the compliment, but equally proud at the recognition for her fashion sense. She picks up the comb to brush her hair out herself, but gets frustrated in a matter of moments.

"Can I help?" Charming asks, motioning for Emma to sit on the freshly made bed. She obliges and gives her father her hair brush. Because Snow usually brushes her hair out, he makes his strides extra gentle in order not to hurt her at all.

"You doin yood, Daddy." Emma assures him.

"Why don't you lay down for a little?" David says when he finishes, trying to coax his daughter into rest.

"Can I have iced cream now?" The little girl asks hopefully.

"Alright, I'll get you some new ice cream, alright?" He promises, lifting her up and putting her underneath the covers and tucking her blanket around her.

As he walks downstairs, he feels significantly calmer than he did doing this just an hour ago. Could he have really gotten used to it that fast? Emma seems to be feeling a little better, because she is acting more like herself. In that moment, he realizes, truly, for the first time, how much his life has changed since becoming a father. As much as he wished Snow was here for Emma and to have helped him, he was glad he finally was forced to realize how much he did know about being a parent.

He comes back in Emma's room with another fresh cold cloth and a bowl of chocolate ice cream. He rubs her back gently as she eats.

"Will you tell me a story?" She asks, lying down after she finishes. David takes the empty bowl and puts it on the stand by her bed.

"Any story you want." He promises.

When Snow arrives home, she places her two infant sons in their cradles, fast asleep, then goes to check on her daughter. To her surprise, she finds Emma curled into her father, sound asleep and face red from a fever. She must have been sick, Snow realizes, seeing the empty ice cream bowl and picking it up to bring downstairs.


	13. Chapter 13

Surrounded by her family, Emma listens to them sing the Happy Birthday song, inserting her name in the middle.

"Make a wish!" Her parents say at the same time, watching their daughter.

Silently, Emma makes the same wish she's been making for three years. Taking a deep breath, she blows out seventeen brightly colored candles.

"I want first piece!" Michael calls as Charming starts cutting into the chocolate cake with blue frosting.

"No, Emma gets the first piece. You know the rules." Snow reminds her son. Emma blushes a little and takes the plate from her father.

"This is sooooo good," she teases taking a bite in front of her brother. He sticks her tongue out at her, and strangely enough, Emma laughs instead of feeling annoyed.

"What do you want to do after cake?" Charming asks his daughter. The family has a tradition on birthdays to do something as a family after cake on the night of the birthday. Usually they do something simple, like watch a movie or go for a walk. Last year, Eva chose a trip to the library.

"Actually, I'm kind of tired tonight. Could we maybe do it another night?"

"But today is your birthday!"

"I know, I just really feel like I'm going to pass out. Do you guys mind?"

Snow looks her daughter up and down, as if she's trying to decide what to say. "Yeah... yeah," she starts, as if she's suddenly remembered Emma's waiting for a response. "Go get some rest."

"What's wrong with her?" Daniel asks once Emma is out of earshot.

"Nothing, Danny. She's just tired."

* * *

"Emma!" A voice calls from outside her bedroom window. Emma looks up from her sullen gaze at the blank page in her journal. With her attention caught, she moves cautiously to the window, worried at what she might see. "Emma! Look down!"

"Can I help you?" Emma calls, wary of the strange young male underneath her.

"It's me, Emma. I came back for you."

She thinks for only a moment. "Neal?!"

"Yes, Emma! I found you."

"You found me," she echoes, smiling.

"Can you come down?"

"I only have like an hour or two," Emma says, visibly disappointed

"That's more than enough."

Emma sneaks through the back staircase, following the invisible footprints she left all those years ago when she ran away and first met Neal. Without thinking, she tries to moves in the steps she made before. This time, she doesn't get stopped by anyone on the way down.

"Hey," Neal smiles. Emma can't help, she smiles back.

"Hi," Emma says, suddenly feeling a little shy. She tries to shake it off quickly. "How did you get here?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time," Emma counters.

"Actually, I distinctly remember you telling me that you didn't."

Emma smiles at him. "So what are we doing?"

"Follow me," he says holding out his hand. To her own surprise, she takes it, willing to follow him anywhere.

* * *

"Emma?" Snow says, knocking on her bedroom door lightly.

"Huh?" She says distractedly, not looking up from writing in her notebook. Snow notices the furious scribbling, the pages pregnant with so many words.

"I just want to see what's going on. How come you wanted to go straight to bed instead of celebrating?"

"I was just tired, that's all." Emma says looking down, trying to sound convincing. Snow

puts her hand Emma's arm and rubs it gently.

"I know you better than you know yourself, love. Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"There's nothing to tell, Mom. I'm fine. What did you guys end up doing?"

"Emma, I know something is wrong, but I want you to talk to me when you're ready. So I'll be here. Waiting. Okay?"

Emma nods her head tentatively, and Snow places her hand around the back of Emma's head, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"We just watched a movie. Eva was asleep within the first fifteen minutes and the boys were out before the halfway mark." At this, Emma giggles at the idea of her little siblings, briefly forgetting what had happened earlier.

"Mom?" Emma calls softly, as Snow turns to walk out of the room.

"Hmm?"

"Can you... not go?" Emma's voice is shy, and Snow smiles at her daughter's innocent tone. Emma's sudden tears startle both of them, as they come on heavily and without warning.

"Oh...baby," Snow says, moving quickly back towards her to wrap her arms around her. "It's okay. It's all going to be okay. Whatever is wrong is going to work itself out."

"Not this time... Mom, I don't think it can."

"Emma, baby, whatever it is we'll figure it out together. As a family. We'll make it through it." Snow tucks Emma's hair behind her ears, then holds her face in both of her hands. Finally, Emma catches her breath and looks her mother in the eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" Emma says, her voice getting louder. "Maybe your life was a fairytale, but not everyone's is destined for a happy ending," her tone gets soft then, and she continues, "not all of us deserve one".

"Whatever it is, your heart is still good. No, not everyone gets a happy ending," Snow admits. "But everyone can. It doesn't just come to us, Emma, not even to your father and I. You have to work for happiness, and even then, there's always going to be something in the way. There's always going to be someone or something to make you doubt everything you thought you knew... but strangely enough, when those moments come around, they're the ones that matter most. Your happy ending is never going to come to you in a shiny wrapped box marked 'happy ending', it's already here, it's every day. Your happy ending is every day you don't let the bad things in life overshadow the good." Snow smiles at her daughter, wiping the drying tears off from under her daughter's eyes with her thumbs. "You know when I realized I had a happy ending that nobody could take away from me?"

"When?" Emma asks, curious.

"The moment after you were born, when I realized I got to spend every day learning more about you."

Emma reaches over and wraps her arms around her mom, deciding to let her secrets stay hers. It's better this way, Emma decides.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Regarding some of the questions, the setting of this story is not Storybrooke. SB never existed in this story! However, I do ask you guys use a lil imagination, as it is a more modern version of the EF. They are living as royals, in a castle, but they are not living without modern technology/advancements. Picture it more of an AU of EF. Also, I have come to the decision to bring this story to a close. There will be a few more chapters before the ending, and depending on response, a possible epilogue. I want to sincerely thank the people who have been reading this story from the beginning and not giving up on it... I appreciate all the time you took reading and reviewing and I hope you found some enjoyment in it. (I might start another story, but as my schedule is about to get very busy for the next month, we'll see when. Maybe I'll just post one-shots until then? I hope you guys will read them if I do)**

* * *

"Emma, wake up." Charming says, yawning.

"You're not even awake," Emma counters, groaning, referencing Charming's yawn.

"I am awake, and you need to be too. Your lesson is starting in fifteen minutes." In response, Emma lets out an even louder groan before and tries to pull her blanket over her head.

"Can I just be done now? I'm practically there."

"You just turned 17. You have an entire year left... a very crucial one, at that."

"Oh, the joy of balls and gowns and princess 101, I forgot." Emma says sarcastically, sitting up.

"Hey, at least you're not your siblings. They have years ahead of them." Charming says, turning to leave now that Emma was sitting up.

Emma lets out a sigh and thinks how true it is. She suddenly feels the urge to be nice to them because of it.

Walking into the kitchen, she finds it empty save Eva. She's reading a novel while eating a buttered roll. She's barely ten years old, but she probably reads at a higher level than Emma.

"Hey Evs," Emma says casually, grabbing a roll and sitting next to her. Eva barely looks up while making some type of a sound that in I'm-reading-don't-bother-me Eva language means Hi, but I'm reading, don't bother me. "Same," Emma jokes with herself at Eva's weird noise response.

"You ate the end piece!" Daniel whines, almost crashing into the table.

"Well, you guys were late," Emma says, realizing for the first time that her 12 year old kid brothers weren't in the kitchen eating before her. "Where were you?"

"Don't worry about us," Michael responds.

"Yeah, worry about yourself." Daniel adds. Emma can't help but burst out laughing.

"Where did you get that saying?" Emma asks.

"Don't worry about it." They repeat, and this time Emma rolls her eyes.

"Where's mom and dad?"

"Dont wo-"

"I will destroy both of you if you say it again."

Daniel and Michael both freeze. They shrug their shoulders before stuffing their mouths so full they can't speak. Rolling her eyes, Emma finishes her roll and announces to her siblings she is going for a walk if anyone asks. She can't believe her luck, she might actually get away. Usually her parents are behind the counter chatting or at the table with them while the kids eat breakfast.

"Where are you going?" Her mother asks, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Emma winces, as if she got caught in a bank robbery.

"For a walk," Emma tries.

"Your lessons are starting in only moments, though," Snow says confused, before realizing Emma wanted to be late. "Oh, Emma, Emma, Emma. Come on."

"Where are _you_ going?" Emma asks, looking at her mom's arm that's resting around her shoulders.

"With you of course," Snow answers and then continues at Emma's confused face. "Today is a special day. Your fitting for your first major ball gown."

Emma looked at her mother and let out an annoyed grunt. Truthfully, she was pretending to be more annoyed than she actually felt. She was actually a bit excited to see her first major ball gown. Of course she's been to countless fittings, but at 17, it's the first time she's considered an actual adult. Her gowns before were beautiful, but she couldn't deny being a little excited to see her first adult one. Of course, she could never let her mom or dad know that. She had to pretend she hated every second of it... after all, she had a reputation to uphold. Eva was the easy daughter, Emma was the difficult one. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point.

"Aren't you a _little_ excited?" Snow probed. In response, Emma groaned, and Snow smiled at her daughter's ability to stay in character. "Well, then, I'm excited for the both of us." And Emma quickly turned away, to make sure her mom didn't see the small smile emerging that was giving away all her secrets.

Emma had a personal tailor all her life, Marea, and she was short and always looked angry. She never cared for Marea, as she was harsh and probed her a little too much. Despite her complaints to her mom and dad, they insisted Marea was the best tailor for gowns in the land. Finally, when Emma was fourteen, they seemed to have had enough and got a her a new one, and Nina was much better. She made friendly conversation and seemed much happier to tailor Emma's dresses. She was short like Marea, but her hair was a soft brown, while Marea made her dark hair seem harsh and uninviting. Marea still worked in the castle though with Eva, and today she was going to be the one sewing Emma's dress.

"Why can't Nina?" Emma realized her voice sounded like a child's whine responding to her mother's warning about her tailor.

"Nina is unavailable today, and Marea makes the most invisible seams you've ever seen. Please be pleasant and polite-"

"like a Princess," Emma finished.

"Yes." Snow breathed, knowing Emma was annoyed with hearing it, but equally knowing how often she needed to be reminded.

"Hello," Emma smiled, walking in to the room where Marea waited. "Thank you for your assistance today. Myself and my family appreciate it very much so." Emma spoke the words like cement, smiling as if she was being held at gunpoint. Snow swallowed a laugh and made a mental note to scold her daughter later for her sarcasm.

Emma stepped on the stool where she would be standing for the next few hours while Marea worked.

"Mom?" Emma said, realizing her mom had drifted to sleep in the chair while watching. For the first hour or so, Snow had been very active in the dress tailoring, offering her opinions and thoughts to Marea, who had to smile politely and thank her for the input. Finally, Emma convinced her mom she knew what she wanted, a small white lie, and that she wanted it to be a surprise. Snow, reluctantly, sat down and faced the other way and waited. Eventually, staring at the wall proved to be mundane, and she drifted to sleep.

"Oh... Emma," Snow said, standing up and moving towards her daughter. "You are so beautiful."

"Mom! Are you crying?!" Emma exclaimed, embarrassed.

"You grew up so fast," Snow explains. "Yesterday you were a smart little girl who knew all the letters of the alphabet, and today you are this grown, beautiful woman. I just wish I had more time with you." Snow says, tears falling from her eyes. Emma's face softens along with the feeling in her heart.

"I'm not dying, Mom. You still have plenty of time with me."

"I know, I know," Snow says, looking her daughter up and down. "I'm just so... proud of the person you are."

The words are still soft and warm from Snow's lips, but by the time they get to Emma, they are sharp and feel like a knife. Without any sound, Emma joins her mom, tearful, listening to the ticking of the clock.

* * *

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Here with you," Emma responds.

"Obviously," Neal counters.

"You asked." Emma turns her head to look at the boy she lies next to. They've been meeting in this field part of the woods almost every day since Emma's birthday. Today they were laying with their heads opposite of each other, staring at the sky. Her parents didn't even know Neal was back yet. Emma was supposed to be at a riding practice, and her horse waited for her in his usual spot here. "I had my first ball gown fitting today."

"Did you?"

"Would I lie to you?" Emma says sarcastically. "Well, my first adult ball gown fitting."

"How was it?" Neal asked, even if it was only to be nice.

"My mom cried."

"What? Good or bad crying?"

"I don't know," Emma admits. "I guess, both. She was upset because... because she said I was growing up."

"Awww," he says, jokingly teasing Emma's confession.

"I'm being serious. She was upset just because she saw me in a gown! Neal, if she ever found out what I did..."

"Emma, relax. There's no reason she has to find out."

"How do you know it won't come out somehow? The truth always comes out. That's what my mom would say."

"I just know. Do you trust me?"

Emma ponders it for a moment, then nods in response. "Okay," she says, agreeing to stop worrying about it.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Please reserve your judgments and thoughts on Emma until the end of the next chapter at least. Thank you ;) enjoyyyy

* * *

_Emma focused on coloring her picture while her dad sat nearby, reading a book. He always looked so intently at his books, Emma never liked disturbing him. She was bored of coloring, but didn't want to tell him._

"_What are you guys doing?" Her mom asked, walking into the room. Snow provided Emma with some much needed stimulation._

"_Mommyyyyy!" Emma said, getting up to give her mom a hug around the legs._

"_Hi, baby. Are you coloring a picture?" She asked, bending down to get eye-level with her daughter. Emma nodded, then moved to show Snow the picture she drew. "Well, this is just the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," Snow says to her daughter, and the four year old blushes. "How would you like to go outside, though?" Snow asked, and Emma moves her eyes towards the window. There was water falling from the sky as fast as the sun at bedtime, except when the water fell it made pretty sounds, and Emma wanted to feel it._

"_Yes!" Emma yelled._

"_In this weather?" Charming countered, putting a bookmark in his book and sitting up straight._

"_Why not?"_

"_Because she'll get sick?" _

"_It's just rain... she's not going to melt. She'll be dressed properly," Snow argued, scrunching her eyebrows. "We'll come back in and have hot cocoa and lay under warm blankets. It will be fine." Although it seemed Snow was pleading her case, Charming knew better than that. He knew there was no changing her mind, and he could see the light in Emma's eyes at the idea of feeling the rain._

"_Wait for me, I'll get my coat."_

_Snow smiled and tucked her long hair behind her eyes and into her coat. Sometimes she just imagined cutting it all off._

"_You know what we need to wear?"_

"_Wat?" Emma responded._

"_Your yellow rain boots," Snow said, smiling. Emma wore those boots wherever she can, even on the sunniest of days. If she was ever wearing any other type of shoe, it was against her will. The fact that the weather actually called for them was a special occasion. Emma excitedly put them on. Unfortunately, though she got them on by herself, they were on the wrong feet. "You did such a good job, baby. Can I help a little though?" Snow asked laughing, slipping her daughters shoes off and switching them. Emma smiled at her mom and wiggled her toes, obviously feeling relief from the discomfort of misplaced shoes._

"_Are you two ready?" Charming asked, walking in with boots and a raincoat._

"_Yup," Snow said and Emma took one of both their hands in each of hers._

"_Yets go." Emma's tiny voice carried up to both of her parents._

* * *

That night was more than just rain, Emma thought and smiled, it was a full out storm. But of course, that did not deter her stubborn parents, who were literally determined to change the weather if it's what made Emma happy.

Emma suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotions as she realized how lucky she was to have had the parents she had. She looked out the window and watched the rain fall, somehow the droplets had become a time machine to that first day she felt the rain on her skin, realized that everything that happened could be undone.

* * *

"_Mommy, it's too youd."_

"_I know baby girl, it's really loud. But you know you're safe, we wouldn't let anything hurt you."_

_Emma nods at this reassurance. Of course she believed her mom. She'd believe anything that came out of her parents mouths. They were her Gods, they did no wrong, and they knew the answer to everything._

_She tilted her hair back. She could feel the wet rain making her hair heavy, and the uncomfortable feeling of her clothes sticking to her skin, but she didn't care. The coolness of the droplets on her skin felt refreshing. She held her hands out, as if maybe if she could somehow catch the drops, but gave up quickly because her hands were just too small. She opened her eyes frustratedly and looked at her parents._

"_Hold on, Emma," Charming says, watching his daughter. She was like a book that he read a million times, but a million years ago. So when you read it, the more you learn, the more you realize how many little things are already stored in your mind somehow. "Stay with mommy."_

_Charming came back only moments later with a small jar that they kept shelled nuts in. "Here. For your water." He explains, handing the open jar to his daughter, water dripping off his face and into his mouth. _

"_Where are all the peanuts?" Snow whispered to her husband._

"_On the counter." He shrugged._

"_Just loose on the counter? Charming, what possessed you to-" Snow started, but was stopped by the sound of Emma's laughter at the rain falling into the jar. Snow looked at her husband, with water dripping off both of them, and kissed his lips and listened to the sound of their daughter's happiness._

* * *

Emma's memory flooded as she thought about the jar of the plain water that still rest on a shelf in the small hallway between the spare room and the main living space. Why did they keep it all this time? Emma wondered, but really she knew the answer. Because they loved her, and it reminded them of her being happy. Emma felt a pang of regret. Of course now she appreciates her parents. She's had seventeen years to do so, but she never took the time. She was so worried about herself and her life, she never even saw her parents as actual people outside of their responsibility to take care of her. They're growing older too, Emma thinks. They had hopes and dreams and they had a life before us.

"I can't do this." Emma doesn't say it to anyone, mainly because she has no one to say it to. The mirror she looks into bares her soul, and she has to look away, because she can almost see the world crumbling down on top of her in her reflection. Even after the words leave her mouth, they are meaningless. She knows she has no choice.

Though it's only the third time in her life, her feet greet the back staircase like an old friend. She feels thirteen again, stupid and immature, selfish and desperate.

"Are you ready?" Neal greets her by the field they've been meeting in. The rain was pouring down, and though Emma was dressed in a proper jacket, her face and hair was somehow soaked through and dripping wet.

"No." Emma doesn't see any need to hold back the truth at this point. She doesn't want to go.

"I know," Neal says, his tone quieter, and Emma has to strain to hear over the sound of the rain.

"Neal," Emma says, the grey specks in her blue eyes overpowering against the blue rain drops. "You don't have to come. You worked so hard to get back here."

"I'm not letting you do this on your own. I won't leave you."

"But your dad-"

"Do you think I want to be around him? After this?" His voice rises at his question, but softens before he continues. "I thought he changed. When I came back... he promised. I'm so sorry, Emma. I'm so sorry, this is my fault. I can't leave you now." He can barely finish his sentence, so he swallows, hoping some of his guilt goes down with the gulp.

"Okay." Emma nods. "Then let's do this and get it over with."

Neal throws up a magic bean, and both young adults close their eyes. Emma opens hers first.

"Oh dearies, what were you planning to do with this?" A chuckle. The magic bean is in his hand, never having the opportunity to touch the ground. "I hope, not trying to leave and somehow back out of our deal," Rumpel leans close enough that Emma can feel his breath. "Because I take my deals very seriously."

"Leave her alone!" A little voices echoes out of the bushes.

All three faces turn in shock.

"Eva! What the hell are you doing here? Run home! Right now!" Emma commands.

"No! You need my help! That's why I followed you. Reading people is just like reading books." Eva explains proudly.

"Eva, listen to me. I am going to be fine, you hear me? Don't worry. Run home right now as fast as you can and don't look back. Mommy will make you some hot cocoa. I'm going to be right behind you."

"No! Not unless you are _with_ me."

"Eva, please listen to me." Emma begs her little sister.

"You are brave, young girl." Rumpel laughs wickedly. "_Too_ brave."

"Dad!" Neal yells, spitting with hatred.

Before Emma even can turn around to scream, Rumpel is gone. Neal stands next to her, awestruck, but her little sister is nowhere to be found.

"EVA!" Emma screeches, loud enough to echo throughout the clearing. "He took her! He took Eva instead of this." Emma's face breaks before she can help it, thinking of her tiny, innocent, pure sister following her all this way to help her. She uses all her power not to collapse on the wet grass, to focus on her next move.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** hopefully this gives you guys some answers ;) sorry for the cliffhangers before hehe. btw i started a new story, so if you guys wanna check it out, it's called Forever In My Life and let me know what you think :)

* * *

"Emma! Where were you?" Snow greets her daughter, who is running full speed into the house. Finally, her strength drained, she collapses into her mother's arms. Shocked, Snow holds her daughter. "Emma, tell me what is going on."

"Mom," Emma sobs. "Mom, I did something horrible and I- I can't fix it. It's too late." Emma can barely choke out the words, her voice so thick with tears.

"We can do it together, just tell me what happened. Tell me everything." Snow laces her fingers in her daughter's hair, remembering how it used to soothe her as a child.

"There's no time. There's no time. No time, it's too late," Emma can't think or speak, suddenly feeling too anxious to stay in her mom's arms. Somehow Snow always knows how to bring her back.

"Nothing is going to get resolved until I know what's going on. Then we are going to fix it together."

Sobbing, Emma nods. She tries to take a deep breath, but a sob caught her in throat stops her. She lets it out, because it's no longer controllable. She tries again, this time the air travels down to her lungs.

"Neal's back," Emma starts and Snow gives Emma a shocked look. "That's not it. He's been back for months. I didn't tell you, because the first time he came back he surprised me in my room. It was my birthday. I went to meet him, I wasn't planning anything to happen, I just wanted to say hi," Emma has to pause because she loses her breath again. "I shouldn't have gone. I should have told you right then. You would have known what to do. Everything would have been different if I had just come to you."

"Oh, Emma. We're always here for you. It's going to be okay."

"No, that's not it. That night, when I met him. I told him I only had an hour and he said that was all he needed. He showed me this clearing that's close to our castle. It's so beautiful. And we just laid there and talked and he told me about his life in New York and why he came back."

"Why did he come back?" Snow encourages her.

"His dad found him. He promised Neal he would change if he came back, and he... he believed him. So he came back. He talked about forgiveness and hope and it reminded me so much of everything you and Dad spent my life teaching me. He just seemed so brave. I don't know why I did what happened next. It just happened. He kissed me, and I knew it was too soon, that it was wrong and not how a proper Princess acted. But I didn't stop him. I don't know why I didn't stop him," Emma bawled. "But I let him keep going. And I kept going. I didn't even know what we were doing. But I felt dirty and ashamed when I came back home that night. I knew whatever I did, I regretted it."

"It's okay, it's okay sweetie," Snow said, hugging her daughter. "It's not the end of the world."

"Mom, that's not the end. It's not the end..." And Emma waited for her mom to nod before she continued. "I was just trying to pretend it didn't happen. I tried to stop talking to Neal, but then he told me he had to tell me something important. He said I had to get away, he didn't know why, but I just had to get away. I didn't understand. I brushed it off, I pushed him away from me and started walking home by myself. But Rumpelstiltskin found me on my way home. He said I still owed him a favor from when he sent me to New York and that he wanted my unborn child. I told him he was crazy for even thinking about that, and asked him what use he would have for that. He said he's not as crazy as I think, and that he wants his grandson to learn his dark magic and that if I don't deliver then the people I love most are the ones who will suffer. I knew that meant you guys."

"His grandson...?"

"Mom, I didn't even know what we were doing that night with Neal, and nothing like it ever happened again. I don't know how..."

"You're withchild?"

"Mom... I don't know. I don't know anything. Neal came back for me a few days ago and I told him everything. He said no one needed to know. I told him he was right before and that we needed to get away, so he came back earlier tonight and we were going to escape together. He had a magic bean. We were going to run away so I didn't have to bring shame to this family."

"Oh Emma, not again... Don't you know? Nothing you do would bring shame to us. We are so proud of the person you are."

"How can you say that?" Emma yelled, angry. She wanted to be hated, she deserved it. "I'm not finished yet. Right when Neal threw the bean on the ground, Rumpel showed up. He was angry I was trying to back out of the deal, then Eva," Emma starts, but has to stop at the sound of her name. Emma focuses all her energy on breathing. "Eva came out of nowhere, she said she wanted to protect me. She noticed something was off and she followed me," at this point, Snow is straining her ears to understand the words between Emma's sobs. "I just wanted to protect you guys. But Rumpelstiltskin took her. Neal is looking for him now, but I had to get you and Dad. I can't do this without you guys anymore. He has Eva." She says the last sentence one more time, before completely losing herself in her sobs.

"No, no, no, no, no." Snow's voice gets louder with each repeat, and somehow she can't think of any word in the language besides this powerful one.

"Emma!" Charming says, walking in, surprised to see his daughter. "Where have you been?" He asks, but when he fails to get a response he looks at his wife, but her face looks blank. Emma looks at her father, but her eyes look empty. "The boys are upstairs reading one of Eva's books in their room. Have you seen Eva though? I can't find her anywhere."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Here is the ending of Tell Me A Story... i couldn't wait to post it. it's sad, very sad, i actually got emotional writing it and i wanted to rewrite it with a happier ending but it just didnt work, this was just the ending. an epilogue may follow, but its completely dependent on requests for it. please let me know what you think of the story... especially after the ending. it would mean so much to hear your thoughts on the whole story.

* * *

"What's going on?" Charming asks, a sense of panic developing in his throat.

"Dad..." Emma says, moving to hug her father. "I ruined everything."

"Huh?"

"I'll explain it all again to you, but we have to get moving. Mom?" Emma says assertively, and Snow nods blankly.

"Where are we going?" Charming asks, confused and concerned.

"We have to go get Eva back."

"Back? Where is she? What about the boys?"

"They'll be fine. Right now, Eva needs her parents." Emma has never felt so assertive.

Charming prepares his sword and fetches the bow and arrow for his wife. Suddenly, both are alert and ready to fight.

"Mom... dad..." Emma says, walking in between her parents. She's weaponless, despite her protests. She knows her mom has an extra sword, though. "I'm so so sorry for being the cause of all of this."

"Emma, please do not apologize for living. You were doing the best you could. Your intentions were as pure as your heart." Charming assures his daughter.

"Please... stop. Please stop being so understanding. I don't deserve you guys."

"Emma, we love you beyond measure. But this heart-to-heart about how much you deserve it is going to have to wait, understand? Right now all of our energy needs to be on Eva." Snow's tone is sharper than normal, and Emma tries not to take it personal. She's never seen her mom like this before, in clothes like this, her senses sharp like this. Dressed in brown pants and a brown shirt, with her bow and arrows as accessories, she looks like a real warrior, Emma thinks. She doesn't respond to her, and doesn't think her mom sees her nod. She figures Snow has a pretty good idea that Emma heard her though.

"Do you really think Rumpel is going to be in his castle?" Emma says after a while, quietly, still worried her mom was mad.

"No. Maybe. But it's the best place to start. We can find him from there."

"How?"

"Let's focus on one thing at a time," Charming assures her, as the castle comes in to sight. It was covered in a dark cloud.

"A protection spell." Snow states.

"Protection?" Emma wonders out loud.

"From light magic."

"From... me." Emma breathes.

"Which means he's probably in there, and you're virtually powerless inside the castle."

"I have to go in." Emma looks into her mom's eyes, seeing the thoughts stirring in her mind.

"I can't lose you, Emma. You are everything," Snow decides.

"Mom, I have to go. Please. Isn't it more dangerous for me to be myself out here?"

"Out here, you can protect yourself. Dark magic can't touch you out here... not with your power."

"Your mother is right, Emma." Charming adds.

"Please... this is my fault. I have to go."

"No, Emma." Snow says, sharply. "I can't allow you to risk your life for this guilt. You have a beautiful, wonderful life ahead of you. You are the brightest star I've ever known, and you are going to bring so much light to this world, to these people. Your independence and bravery has gotten you into trouble, but it will serve you well. Please promise me you'll never lose it."

"I promise." Emma's speaks with tears falling from her eyes.

"Good," Snow says, her face mirroring Emma's tears. "I am so proud of who you are. I wouldn't change a thing about you. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, and that includes yourself. You are loved beyond anything this world has ever known. Your father may be my soulmate, but you are the love of my life."

"Mom..." Emma tried, but Snow interrupted her by kissing her forehead. Snow turned around and wiped her tears, not willing to say the words goodbye. Charming began to follow her, and they started their journey into the dark cloud. "Mom!" Emma called, and Snow pivoted around to face her daughter. "I love you more." Emma reached her hand up to wipe her cheek and smiled, curving the path on her cheeks that her tears created. Snow let out a breath and blew a kiss to her daughter.

"Snow..." Charming said.

"Don't."

"Okay. Let's go save our daughter." And they continued in the castle, leaving Emma sitting alone, waiting.

"What a surprise to see you two." Rumpel said dryly, sitting at the end of a long table.

"Where's Eva?"

"Now, now, did you really think it would be that easy?" His tone was calm and sarcastic. Charming drew his sword. "Whoa, whoa, big man. Slow down, will ya? We can work something out. You don't have to prove yourself here."

"I wasn't trying to prove anything." Charming spoke more as growl. "No more deals with you."

"Are you sure about that?" Rumpel asked, waving his hand with ease over a clear ball on the table in front of him. It showed Eva in a jail cell in a dark room, and you could hear crying coming from the small girl.

"Baby girl! I'm right here." Snow said, lunging toward the ball, but the image was gone.

"Do you really think she can hear you?"

Snow looked up, her eyes mixed with tears and fire. She draws the sword and while plunging it into Rumpel's chest, it somehow is thrown across the room before touching him. "Deary, deary. Tsk tsk. Do you want to hear my deal?"

Snow steals a look at Charming, who nods coming up behind him. "Okay, tell me the deal." Snow says.

"It's simple really, a daughter for a daughter. Give me Emma, I'll return her to you in perfect health once the child is born. You can go home with Eva now. Fair enough?" Rumpel asks, but then gasps for her from the sharp pain. Charming his behind him, his sword going through Rumpel's back straight through to out of his chest. Charming pulls it out, and all three of them watch the enourmous amounts of blood spilling to the floor. Rumpel makes visible gasps for air.

"You should have taken my deal," Rumpel barely can get the words out, but somehow laughs cruelly. "Because now it's personal." He waves his hand over the ball, and Snow and Charming watch guards approach Eva with weapons.

"They're going to kill her!" Charming yells.

"We have to find her, now." Snow states, as calmly as she can. "We have to split up for our best chance." Charming nods and they head off in different directions. Because it was dark, Snow moves her way down the giant staircase. Wherever this leads, it can't be somewhere pleasant, Snow reasons.

Charming decides to take the floor they are on, moving frantically through every hallway and crevice. His heart pounds when he hears a noise behind a door.

"Eva?" He calls, kicking the door down. He finds a 20 year old young man, tied up to a chair.

"Neal? We have to stop meeting like this." Charming says, moving quickly to untie the young man.

"Thank you."

"Did your father do this?" Charming asks, incredulous that even an evil of his amount would stoop so low.

"Yes. He did to stop me from getting to Eva. She's being held in the basement. We have to get her." Neal says, running. Charming follows him, his heart beating out of his chest.

Snow makes strides on the cement floor. It's pitch dark and she has no form of light, but she can tell by the coolness in the air that the walls are cement as well as the floor. It's cold and scary, and Snow becomes emotional thinking about her sweet Eva down here all by herself.

"Eva, baby, if you can hear me, I'm coming for you." Snow tries hopelessly.

"Mama?"

"Eva?" Snow says, perking up. "Baby girl, where are you? I'm right here."

"I'm here, Mama." Eva's tiny voice carries, and Snow feels a hand reach out.

"Eva! You're okay!" Snow says, holding the tiny hand. "My sweet, sweet girl. I'm right here, and I'm going to get you out of here, and we're going to go home and cuddle up on the couch all night, okay?" Snow asks. "Eva? Okay?"

"Mommy! Watch out!" A light suddenly appears from behind, and as Snow turns around, she feels a sharp pain electrify through her chest. Without thinking, she shoots an arrow into the guards eye and he drops to the ground. She can't feel any pain. She wonders if she imagines the pain that just shot through her body, but doesn't think about it too long. She picks up a ring of keys off the guards belt and opens the door that locked Eva in.

"Listen to me, baby girl. Are you listening?" Snow asks, holding Eva's shoulder after letting her out of her embrace. "You run up those stairs right now and find daddy."

"Not without you mommy!"

"I'm going to come in a few minutes. You go right now, you hear me? I am ordering you to follow my instructions." Snow says in the sternest voice she can muster. Eva nods, afraid of disobeying her mother. "I love you more than anything, Eva. Always remember that." As she runs up the stairs, Snow falls to the ground, the pain shooting through her body.

"Daddy!" Eva calls, running into her father at the top of the stairs.

"Eva! You're okay." He opens his arms for his youngest daughter to run into them. "Don't you ever do anything like this again, you hear me?" He says, kissing his daughters face. "Where is mommy?"

"Downstairs. The big dark man hurt her. But she killed him."

"He hurt her?"

"With his sword," Eva informs. "She told me to find you."

"Neal," Charming said, handing his daughter over. "Take Eva out of this castle. Emma is waiting in the front. Wait for us there."

"Yes Sir." Neal nods, taking Eva in his arms. As soon as they face the other way, Charming draws his sword and runs downstairs.

"Snow." He says, looking at his wife lying on the floor. "Snow!" He yells, angrily. "Snow! Wake up!" He crouches over her.

"Charming," she smiles, reaching her hand to run it along his cheek. "I love you, Prince Charming."

"Snow, don't do this," he cries. "Don't leave me." He picks her lying body up and holds her in his arms. Her eyes close while she is nuzzled into his chest. "Don't go... don't go... don't leave us." Charming sobs into his wife.

"No... no! No!" Emma yells at Neal, hearing where her dad is.

"Maybe she's okay. Your dad is getting her now."

"No! This is all my fault! This is my fault! I should have just stayed with my family on my birthday and watched a stupid movie or something. None of this would have happened."

"Don't kid yourself," Neal says. "And convince yourself that you alone could have changed destiny." At this, Emma sobs into Neal, her mind half admitting that it was true.

"What's wrong, Emma? Is mommy going to be okay?"

"I don't know, Evs. We'll see." Emma tries to act more brave in front of her little sister, knowing she's seen more than enough for any ten year old.

"Emma..." Neal says, nudging her when her dad comes into sight holding her mom in his arms. All three of them look at Prince Charming, with hope in their eyes and dread in their gut.

As he approaches, he wordlessly shakes his head, fresh tears forming in his eyes at the thought of it again.

Emma collapses onto the ground, unable to breathe. She can't think or process anything. All she knows is she wants her mother, because her mom would be able to hold her and know exactly what to say, what to do to calm her down and bring her back. Emma makes a noise she's never heard before from crying so loud, realizing she will never have that again. Knowing she will never wake up to her mom in the kitchen again, or come home crying into her arms. She will not see Emma get married, or meet her grandchild. She won't even see Eva in her first adult gown. The twins are never going to see their mother again. Her innocent brothers, who had no part in this, lost their mother. Emma thinks she will die herself from lack of oxygen in her lungs due to crying. Death is inevitable, that is the only truth she's ever known. But somehow, losing her mother, well, it feels like a robbery.

"Dad..." Emma sobs, looking up. He looks at her, trying to become stone-faced.

"Let's get home."


End file.
